Gilded Rose of the House of Gondolin
by Ellie In ElfPajamas
Summary: Glorfindel and Erestor's long awaited hunting trip, and adventures in Mirkwood. Sequel to Misadventures of Caladriel and Rinnalaiss. Chapter Five up! Erestor is at odds with Glorfindel, but it all turns out right in the end, right? Plz R&R! no slash
1. Chapter One

Gilded Rose of the House of Gondolin  
  
A tale of Glorfindel (and Erestor) by Ellie in ElfPajamas.  
  
Okay, I'm taking out artistic license. Glorfindel's name means 'Golden Flower', so I'm calling him the Gilded Rose. The rose is the most beautiful of all flowers and certainly one of the more expensive. 'Gilded Roses' are rare. Glorfindel is rare and precious, powerful and fragile. Like a flower will succumb to the frost. Okay, the eloquence ends here.  
  
I'm swiping some ideas -and building upon them- from my friend Erestor's 'Elves of the Third Age'. The story is excellent, and can be found in my favorite story listing.  
  
Rating: PG13. My angst doesn't go much beyond PG but I'm erring on the side of caution.  
  
Genre: Angst/Humor/Spiritual/Action/Adventure/Romance  
  
Summary: Glorfindel and Erestor's hunting trip turns dangerous. Who will fall? Who is the one in trouble? What's spiritual about it?  
  
Spiritual: I don't believe in the Halls of Mandos, and you will find me immovable on this point. Since Tolkien wrote that Glorfindel passed through the Halls once, I see no need to bring it up again. My idea of Glorfindel is that he does have all his memories, Glorfindel of Imladris and Glorfindel of Gondolin are one and the same, and that some things haunt him. One aspect of this story will be healing.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Erestor, Glorfindel, Elrond, Estel, Legolas, Elladan, Elrohir, Thranduil, Imladris, or the hobbit drinking songs. I do not own Mirkwood either, but neither does Tolkien.  
  
Claimer: I do own Faelon, Caladriel, Faelien, Faeliel, Shadow, Naur, WhisperingSilver, WindDancer, MithrilArrow, and Rinn's snowpeas. Ask before using them.  
  
Melannen is owned by the authoress Erestor, and Rinnalaiss was borrowed from Rinnalaiss Turegwaithen with permission.  
  
The REAL chapter one!: In the Halls of the Elvenking; Thranduil  
  
Erestor sighed deeply. He was not particularly fond of Mirkwood, or sitting between Rinnalaiss and Glorfindel at dinner. Rinn was being surprisingly well behaved, and had only shot two Elf-Lords with her snowpeas. Glorfindel had encouraged her, so Erestor had been powerless to stop it. That made him cranky. Not that he wasn't cranky to begin with, but it didn't help. He had been very embarassed when one of the snowpeas had hit Thranduil in the ear and it had looked like he had done it, but he wasn't angry. Yet. It wasn't too much fun to have an Elvenking watching you throughout the meal because he thinks you've been flinging peas at him, but Erestor was used to it by now. Rinn usually ruined state dinners and feasts, and she was almost always seated beside Erestor, so Erestor was used to getting funny looks from lords.  
  
Glorfindel was a wee bit tipsy, he didn't have as high a tolerance for alcohol as most thought, so though he'd only drunk as much wine as the other Elves, he was the only one who was drunk. Erestor took grim satisfaction from that. Rinn was allowed to drink the wine mingled with juice that Arwen usually drank, but she didn't get drunk. Or at least, not often. For which Erestor was truly greatful. It made her sleepy and shut her up, which was music to his sensitive ears. Glorfindel sampled the dishes like a practiced wine tester, chosing the ones he liked from the little bits he put on his plate. Erestor knew what he liked and stuck with it.  
  
Erestor felt a gentle tap on his shoulder and looked up to the maid who was offering him more wine. She was kind of strange looking, she'd obviously had a bit too much to drink. Erestor politely refused the refill and asked for a glass of water instead. She looked at him like he was insane. A soft, silvery laugh was heard across the table from him. He turned his head to look. An Elf-maid with her hand to her mouth was laughing, watching the exchange, merry blue eyes twinkling. Her hair fell over her shoulders in gentle dark gold curls, making her look bouncy and fresh, perhaps a little mischevious as well.  
  
"Faeliel, Lord Erestor would like a glass of mingled wine. Put your muddled brain to work and get him one, dear girl." she laughed.  
  
Faeliel had an inkling of understanding, and brought Erestor some of the wine-like drink Arwen and Rinn favored. Calad, tired and pale, sat beside her father with Faelon and Legolas. Legolas had moved one seat down so that Faelon could sit with Calad. Erestor looked at her, wondering if she would be able to stay at the table through dinner. Faelon looked to Legolas and whispered something, and then the two helped Calad to leave the room. Erestor's unspoken question thus answered, he hoped that Calad would feel better later. He felt a small, round, slimey object hit his cheek and shut his eyes in resignation.  
  
"Good shot!" he heard Glorfindel whisper to Rinn.  
  
"Will you two behave?!!" Erestor whispered fiercely.  
  
Glorfindel looked innocent.  
  
The maiden across the table was not laughing anymore.  
  
"Lady Rinn, please refrain from launching projectiles at the table." she said softly. "Lord Glorfindel, surely you are much too old and mature to engage in such pasttimes. Cease and desist."  
  
Glorfindel nodded dumbly. He really should not have drunk so much wine.  
  
"What's your name again?" Rinn asked the stern maiden.  
  
"Melannen." sighed the maiden. "Please just stop your foolery."  
  
Rinn grinned fiendishly as usual.  
  
Erestor finished what was on his plate and excused himself from the table. He walked aimlessly through the palace. Although few knew it, Erestor was a very content individual, but he'd always disliked Mirkwood. He liked light and airy Lorien and natural, flowing Rivendell, but Mirkwood had never been dear to him. He had never seen Faelon's lands, and was looking forward to hunting on them, but he didn't want to stay here long.  
  
"Why so discontented, Lord Erestor?" asked a soft voice.  
  
Melannen had snuck up on him in his musings. She looked at him curiously.  
  
"It's nothing, just, I prefer Rivendell to Mirkwood, that's all." he said.  
  
"Why is that?" Melannen asked.  
  
"I just do. Rivendell is much like my home lands, and I feel comfortable there. I just don't feel right wandering around under the earth." Erestor replied.  
  
Melannen nodded.  
  
"I'm not originally from here either." she said. "My family and I were forced to flee here when Beriorchan's heir was lost, the Spiders seemed to know that we had lost the chief of our defenders."  
  
"I-it must be nice." Erestor couldn't finish his sentence.  
  
"What must be nice, my lord?" asked Melannen gently.  
  
"To have a family around you." Erestor blurted.  
  
He felt uncomfortable, wishing he'd kept that to himself. Melannen seemed understanding.  
  
"It is nice. I wish there were no Elves left without family." she said, gazing at a tapestry on the wall.  
  
Erestor looked at her without saying anything. She was very pretty, much different looking from many of the she-Elves he knew. He watched her as she stepped toward the tapestry to study the thread count and weave. A roar of laughter from the Elves in the dining hall cut Erestor's thoughts short. He could just barely hear Rinn singing, and knew whatever it was, she should not have been singing it. He hurried back to see, hearing Melannen's soft footfalls as she followed. His jaw dropped in horror as he saw Rinn was dancing on the table with Glorfindel and singing a Hobbit drinking song.  
  
"Ho! Ho! Ho! To the bottle I go  
To heal my heart and drown my woe  
Rain may fall and wind may blow  
And many miles be still to go  
But under a tall tree will I lie  
And let the clouds go sailing by."  
  
Elrond was as red as a candy apple. Elladan, Elrohir, and Estel were laughing so hard that their faces were flushed pink. Glorfindel was too drunk to care. Rinn was just in it for the laughs and the fact that she could tease Glorfindel about it later when he was sober.  
  
"Sing another!" prompted an Elf in the corner, quite happy with the entertainment of the night. Thranduil, obviously in a generous mood, seconded the request. Rinn happily obliged, dancing with the Balrog Slayer she loved to humiliate so well.  
  
"There is an inn, a merry old inn  
beneath an old gray hill,  
And there they brew a beer so brown,  
That the Man in the Moon himself came down  
one night to drink his fill.  
  
The ostler has a tipsy cat  
that plays a five-stringed fiddle;  
And up and down he runs his bow,  
Now squeaking high, how purring low,  
now sawing in the middle.  
  
The landlord kept a little dog  
that is mighty fond of jokes;  
When there's good cheer among the guests,  
He cocks an ear at all the jests  
and laughs until he chokes.  
  
They also keep a horned cow  
as proud as any queen;  
But music turns her head like ale,  
And makes her wave her tufted tail  
and dance upon the green."  
  
Erestor couldn't bear to watch anymore. He had to leave the room. He heard a thud as dizzy Glorfindel fell off the table and took Rinn with him, then laughter, and deduced that Rinn must have done something ridiculous to the fallen Balrog Slayer. Melannen ran up to him.  
  
"Lord Erestor! You missed the best part!" she giggled.  
  
Erestor winced, dreading to find out what had been the best part.  
  
"Lady Rinn landed on Lord Glorfindel and gave him a kiss!" Melannen laughed. "Lord Glorfindel's ears turned red, and he's still lying there in shock."  
  
Rinn flashed past, her smiling face flushed with mirth, her hands holding her long skirts away from her feet as she ran like she was being pursued by a pack of wargs. Erestor paused and waited to see who was chasing her. Elrond came flying after his daughter. His face was flushed too, but not with mirth. Faelon slipped down the hallway, silent and unnoticed as he usually did.  
  
"Faelon, you're a lord now, you needn't sneak like a servant." Erestor said softly.  
  
Faelon colored slightly.  
  
"Yes, my lord. I keep forgetting." he replied.  
  
"What are you up to?" Erestor asked curiously, forgetting for a moment about Melannen.  
  
"I was looking for you, actually. Calad wants to know if you brought your history of the First Age with you, she didn't finish reading it." Faelon said.  
  
"It's in my room." Erestor said. "How is Calad? She didn't look well at dinner, is she alright?"  
  
"She should be fine, she just had a headache. It isn't as bad now, but she doesn't feel well enough to rejoin the party." Faelon said.  
  
"Good. I hope she feels better later." Erestor said. "Feel free to borrow the book."  
  
Faelon bowed and went to get the book.  
  
"Who is Faelon?" Melannen asked.  
  
"He's Beriorchan's heir. He's going to take possession of his lands on the morrow." Erestor said with his trademark easy grace.  
  
A shrill cackle of Rinn being tickled to death rent the air, joined by Elrond's laughter. He loved his baby girl, and spankings had been abandoned in favor of tickling her, like a little child. Glorfindel staggered by, drunk, dazed, and happy, headed for bed.  
  
"Faelon is Beriorchan's lord? I would never have guessed." Melannen said. "I must wonder why Lord Glorfindel is so happy, though."  
  
"He's been kissed for the first time in an Age. You'd be happy too." Erestor said dryly.  
  
"How long has it been since you were last kissed?" Melannen laughed.  
  
A wry smile curled the corners of Erestor's lips.  
  
"The last time my mother kissed me." he said flatly.  
  
Melannen laughed, a silvery, tinkling sound, like bells. Her eyes sparkled with mirth, she thought he was kidding.  
  
"I was telling the truth, Melannen." Erestor said seriously.  
  
She froze.  
  
"Surely you are trying to make a fool of me! That could not possibly be so, you're very likable, Erestor." she said.  
  
That was the first time Erestor could remember his name and the word 'likable' being said in the same breath in relation to each other.  
  
"Are you not wedded? Does not a maiden await you in Rivendell?" Melannen asked.  
  
"No. There is no one waiting for me. At one time I thought there was, but there isn't. Not many find me likable." Erestor said, his facial expression unchanging, though his shoulders sagged a little.  
  
Melannen looked at him for a moment, her clear blue eyes clouding a little.  
  
She stepped closer, put her arms around his neck, and lightly kissed his cheek. Then she turned to go. Erestor stood in stunned silence, his hand going to his cheek, thinking perhaps it would be several degrees warmer than it had been a minute ago.  
  
Perhaps Mirkwood wasn't so bad after all. 


	2. Chapter Two

Gilded Rose of the House of Gondolin  
  
By Ellie in ElfPajamas  
  
For disclaimer and other information (Genre, Rating, Summary, Advisories) see first chapter.  
  
Chapter two: Hunting the White Deer  
  
Glorfindel groaned, hanging tight onto Asfaloth's mane. He looked a little green around the gills. Faelon was too far ahead to see the advisor lurch around like a sailor on a ship in a gale. Erestor felt sorry for him, sort of, but his thoughts were not in the present. His thoughts were about Melannen. He hadn't washed his face this morning because of her. He didn't want to wipe the kiss off.  
  
"Erestor, why didn't you tell me not to take another drink?!" Glorfindel lamented.  
  
Erestor was still lost in his thoughts and didn't reply.  
  
"Erestor, are you still in Arda?" Glorfindel quizzed.  
  
Erestor gave him an otherworldly look.  
  
"What?" he asked. "What did you say? I missed it."  
  
"By Eru! What were YOU smoking????" Glorfindel exclaimed. "Your brains have become mush!"  
  
Erestor's eye twitched. Glorfindel was captivated.  
  
"Glorfindel, I am inches away from offering you hair of the dog." Erestor said.  
  
Glorfindel gagged.  
  
"Hair of the dog? What is that?" he asked.  
  
"Hair of the dog that bit you." Erestor said, taking out a wine flask.  
  
"No Erestor! You wouldn't dare!" Glorfindel exclaimed.  
  
Erestor put it away, thinking Glorfindel had been sufficiently threatened. Faelon reined Shadow back to ride with the two lagging advisors. He looked at Glorfindel uneasilly.  
  
"I hate to ask, but did you get lost in the wine cellar last night, Lord Glorfindel?" Faelon asked.  
  
Glorfindel winced.  
  
"No, Faelon, he didn't. He just has an incredably low tolerance for alcohol." Erestor said, grabbing Glorfindel's cloak before the hung-over Elf could fall off his horse.  
  
Glorfindel shot Erestor a dirty look.  
  
"You didn't have to tell him!" he groaned.  
  
Faelon smiled thinly. He dismounted and started rummaging through his pack. He pulled out a flask. Glorfindel paled, thinking it was 'hair of the dog'.  
  
"You aren't the only one, Glorfindel. Drink some of this." Faelon said, handing the flask to the Balrog Slayer.  
  
"Who else can't handle wine?" asked Erestor.  
  
Faelon smiled again.  
  
"Lord Celeborn and I." he said. "Last time I took a message to Lorien for Thranduil, Lady Galadriel made me stay for dinner. She can handle wine by the flagon, but Lord Celeborn and I were both sick as dogs the following morning. This helped, so I asked Lady Galadriel for a flask for other poor souls such as myself."  
  
Erestor raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Were you a frequent visitor to the Golden Wood?" he asked.  
  
"Not without Thranduil's standard and livery I wasn't! They would have shot me!" Faelon laughed. "Haldir came to know Shadow's hoofbeats, and would let me pass without raising his bow to hail me. He's quite interesting, Haldir the Marchwarden. I wish I could shoot half so well as he."  
  
Glorfindel started to look better.  
  
That made Erestor accept the story. Why couldn't Faelon have been a messenger? He did come to Rivendell with messages all the time, why not Lorien? Erestor was not a very trusting individual, and took nothing at face value. It wasn't that he didn't trust Faelon, but other than the young Elf's frequent visits to Rivendell, Erestor knew little about him.  
  
Faelon mounted Shadow again.  
  
"According to uncle Enetheru, it shouldn't be much further ahead. He said the house is not like the royal palace, it's above ground." Faelon said.  
  
As he finished his sentence, the small party crowned the hilltop. Through the trees, they could glimpse a simple, functional, visually pleasing fortress. Faelon's eyes shone with unshed tears. He'd never seen this place before, and to be coming to it for the first time in his life, and knowing that it belonged to him, was overpowering. The three stood still on the hilltop for a moment, looking down on the grounds inside the fortress walls. A well laid garden, overgrown now, lay near one wall, while the courtyard, full of dirt and rubbish, was paved with grey-green flagstones. Faelon kicked Shadow into a canter and rode down the hill, heedless of Erestor and Glorfindel. They followed him, wondering what they would find inside.  
  
Faelon ran his hands over a small section of the wall, his sensetive fingertips seeking the small crack that would tell him the gateway was here. His right hand found it, and he spoke the spell that Enetheru had told him. The gates swung wide, startling Erestor. Faelon walked in, leading Shadow, looking around the courtyard.  
  
"Well, I suppose I should welcome you to my home, but as of yet it isn't my home." Faelon said sheepishly. "It's in need of cleaning, that's what it is!"  
  
Erestor laughed, watching leaves blow past his feet.  
  
"I suppose I should grab a broom." Erestor said.  
  
"No, that can wait. I need to see the house, and ascertain what needs repairs or replacement. Then I can start cleaning." Faelon said. "You and Glorfindel are not obligated to help, you can just go on your hunt now."  
  
Erestor wouldn't hear of it. His curiousity had not yet been satisfied, he wanted to see the rest of the grounds and the interior of the house. He wondered how Faelon would manage this place without a staff of servants. Cleaning it was going to be a huge chore in and of itself. Enetheru had said that when Eruvyr had gone missing, the house had been closed up, all the furniture covered, and everything left as though readied for winter. A thick coat of dust increased the stillness of the rooms. A thousand years of not being cleaned caused a lot of dust to build up. Faelon glimpsed his reflection in a gauze-draped mirror. He didn't look like himself, he didn't recognize the figure in the mirror. He looked like the lord of this manor now, a few days had made a lot of difference. Curiousity seized him, and he gently folded up a dust cover to take it off a chair. Rich red fabric and finely worked dark wood greeted his eyes. Erestor was now *really* curious, and started taking dust covers off with reckless abandon. He managed to keep the dust in the fabric and off the floor. He discovered the floor rug rolled up in the corner. Faelon found a broom and swept the dust off the floor and out of the room. Glorfindel went to the well to get water for cleaning.  
  
Faelon, though dressed as a lord and in title a lord, was busilly cleaning like a little servant girl. His hair was tied up out of his face, the sleeves of the robe he disliked so much tied in knots to keep them out of the way. He dunked his sleeve in the bucket of mopwater, and in frustration took the robes off, wearing only his leggings. Erestor realized how much more practical this was, and said nothing about it. He and Glorfindel had left their lordly robes in the palace of Mirkwood, and brought their hunting garments. Faelon wasn't allowed to dress like a servant anymore, so he was stuck with his robes and one hunting outfit that he hadn't brought with him. Faelon did have a power, one that would have been of no use to Saruman. Diligence. Once he'd begun a task and applied himself to it, he wouldn't stop until it was done. That had shown in how he'd gone about courting Calad, and now it showed in how he was cleaning the house, as though in preparation for a visit by Calad. Glorfindel started polishing a mirror. He stepped back to admire his handiwork and stepped in Faelon's bucket of mopwater. There was a terrific crash and clatter as the Balrog Slayer fell backwards, dumping the dirty water in his face as his legs shot up into the air.  
  
Faelon looked down at Glorfindel in wide eyed surprise, leaning on his mop as he looked at the fallen lord. Faelon's shoulders began to shake as he could no longer control his laughter. There was two thousand years worth of grime in Glorfindel's hair, making it a dark gray. Faelon caught his breath.  
  
"Lord Glorfindel, get yourself a bucket, head out to the well, and rinse your hair out. Eru only knows what all that grime will do to your golden locks." Faelon teased. "You're on your own for soap."  
  
Erestor laughed.  
  
"Honestly, Glor, I thought you were much too young to go gray like that, you don't even have children!" Erestor taunted.  
  
Glorfindel gracefully picked himself up off the floor and seized a bucket. He walked out the door with exagerated grace, leaving Faelon and Erestor giggling helplessly.  
  
"Really Erestor, you would think he'd have learned by now not to step back without looking first." Faelon said, shaking his head as he went back to mopping the floor.  
  
As if in reply Erestor tripped over a rug. He'd stepped backwards.  
  
"Come to think of it, Erestor, why don't you join Glorfindel outside." Faelon said, realizing he was the only one who regularly cleaned, and thus the only one who really knew what he was doing.  
  
By nightfall, industrious Faelon had set much of the house to rights, including rooms for his guests to sleep in. The two advisors were quite greatful for this, they had spent their day weeding the gardens and cleaning the courtyard after Faelon had kicked them out of the house. Erestor awoke late the following morning, and was surprised to here many Elven voices mingled with Faelon's voice. The house had once had a staff of servants, and upon hearing that the heir lived and had returned, they had also come to set the house to rights. The Elves were bantering with Faelon in a friendly manner, none of them had seen him presented as a Lord in Northern Mirkwood, and as of yet, they thought he was a servant sent ahead.  
  
"What's the lord like, Faelon?" asked one Elf-maiden, a cook by trade.  
  
"He's my height, he has dark hair and green eyes, he has the same build as I do." Faelon said simply, helping the servants out with the chores.  
  
"Is he wedded?" the cook probed.  
  
"He's betrothed." Faelon replied.  
  
"To whom? Who will be the Lady of the Beriorchan household?" asked the cook's husband.  
  
"Well, keep mum on it, because her father doesn't know yet, but it's going to be Caladriel Thranduillion, the princess of Mirkwood!" Faelon said, gossiping about himself and enjoying it.  
  
There was a collective gasp.  
  
"Really?" was the surprised exclaimation.  
  
"Are you jealous, Faelon? The Lord Beriorgan marrying the Lady you served so long?" asked the cook's husband, feeling sorry for the young Elf.  
  
"No, I'm not jealous." Faelon said seriously, then flashed his contagious grin. "I'm looking forward to it, actually."  
  
"How is that? Have you found a bride at last?" asked the gatekeeper.  
  
"Yes, I have. The most beautiful she-Elf in all of Mirkwood." Faelon said, throwing another log on the fire in the stove.  
  
"Come now, we all know that's Caladriel." said the gatekeeper. "Surely you aren't going to steal her!"  
  
Erestor chose to be a spoilsport.  
  
"No, he's not stealing anything. He *is* Lord Beriorgan. You've been reprimanding your lord like a servant boy!" Erestor cackled.  
  
The servants all looked at Faelon and paled. They'd been saying some pretty obnoxious things before Erestor had joined them.  
  
Faelon smiled indulgingly.  
  
"Have no fear. I didn't expect you to know that I was Lord Beriorgan, and I liked listening to your gossip." Faelon said, holding out a hand to the gatekeeper in a gesture of goodwill. "I also did not mean to play any tricks on you, but it felt more comfortable to be known as the servant I was last week. I didn't come into this fortune knowing how to handle it. To be looked upon as a servant is not a bad thing, and I rather enjoy it."  
  
The gatekeeper, Innas, refused Faelon a handshake and embraced him instead.  
  
"I'll be glad to serve one who knows the life of a servant." he said, looking at Faelon with loyal, proud eyes.  
  
Rilaisseth, the cook, and her husband, Gwanunig, looked on with admiring expressions.  
  
"Lord Erestor, what would you like for lunch?" Rilaisseth asked, turning to the bread she'd been making.  
  
"Anything." Erestor said. "I'm not particular when I first get up."  
  
A halfhour later, the whole group sat down to eat in the large dining room. Servants and lords together, and none thought it a breech of station. Erestor looked at the light, golden muffins made by Rilaisseth with admiring eyes. There was more than enough for all, and Erestor certainly got his share.  
  
Midafternoon an Elf rode into the courtyard, bearing tidings for Faelon.  
  
"My lord," he addressed Faelon, bowing low, "their majesties, King Thranduil, Prince Legolas, and the Princess Caladriel wish to pay you a visit in three days. They will bring with them the remainder of your staff and your relatives."  
  
Faelon nodded, bowing to the messenger.  
  
"So be it. Tell the royal family I am honored that they will be so kind as to pay me a visit." Faelon said, sounding like a practiced noble.  
  
The messenger smiled.  
  
"Good luck to you, Faelon. Your story is all over the palace, it is quite sensational. The servants all send you their congratulations." he said.  
  
"It is good to know that, Tholvell. Tell them I send them my highest regards." Faelon said. "And tell Prince Legolas that I spotted some of the white deer."  
  
Thovell smiled, then rode out of the courtyard.  
  
"Now if only Lord Elrond were coming too." Faelon mused out loud.  
  
"And why do you desire my presence, Faelon?" asked a voice from the gateway.  
  
Elrond, flanked by Elrohir and Elladan, followed by Estel and Rinn, rode into the courtyard.  
  
Faelon smiled.  
  
"Because I desire instruction in how to run a house full of servants!" Faelon laughed. "This is the first time I have been in the position to order anyone around."  
  
Elladan laughed.  
  
"Well, Faelon, you don't exactly look the part of a Lord right now." Elrohir quipped.  
  
"Ever notice how incredably difficult it is to clean a house while wearing a noble's robes?" Faelon fired back.  
  
Elrond smiled.  
  
"I have. We did bring the rest of your wardrobe, though, the seamstresses finished it this morning." Elrond said kindly. "There are some hunting outfits, a set of those scorned robes, riding outfits, and some normal everyday tunics, leggings, and undershirts."  
  
Faelon smiled appreciatively.  
  
"Thank you, my lord. That was most kind of you." he said.  
  
"Faelon, did you manage to clean the house all by yourself? It looks awfully big for you to have done that!" Rinn piped up.  
  
"No, the servants arrived very early this morning and helped me to finish. I just cleaned what I could yesterday." Faelon said. "The lords Erestor and Glorfindel cleaned the courtyard and weeded the gardens."  
  
Erestor smiled wearilly at Elrond.  
  
The weariness was too obviously faked. Elrond smiled at his right hand Elf.  
  
"Well, Erestor, are you glad to be hunting the white deer at last?" Elrond asked.  
  
Erestor's vigorous nod sent his hair bouncing.  
  
"They set out tomorrow, Lord Elrond. They need not be present for the feast if they do not want to." Faelon said. "I dare say my cellars are lacking."  
  
Glorfindel clapped Faelon on the back.  
  
"Surely you jest, Faelon. We'll stay until after the feast, just keep the wine away from me." Glorfindel laughed.  
  
"Will you ask King Thranduil for Caladriel's hand at the feast, Faelon?" Elrond asked gravely.  
  
Faelon nodded with equal gravity.  
  
"Good. I fear I cannot keep the secret any longer. I already started Faeliel on Caladriel's dress, and Faelien on your robes." Elrond said.  
  
He loved to play the guiding father. He was particularly enjoying arranging Faelon's wedding. Elladan and Elrohir found their father's involvement in this whole matter quite amusing, and Estel no less so. He wondered if Elrond would make as big a fuss over his wedding when he was King of Gondor.  
  
Faelon took the reins of the horses and led them into the stable. Elladan looked around the courtyard at the walls. They were made of a green stone, beautifully carved, and they looked as fresh as they must have when erected. Elrohir ran his hand over some of the engravings. They were deeply cut into the stone, so that the passage of time would have a difficult time wearing them away.  
  
"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain........Great is virtue, valor and bravery are nought without it.......To everything there is a season, a time to live, a time to die, a time to take up arms, a time to lay them down.......The house of Beriorchan, enter and be blessed....." Elrohir read off softly.  
  
He liked the walls even better now. They seemed friendly and soft to him, not hostile and hard. The builder must have known that words of wisdom would soften the walls for the inhabitants and travelers who came within them.  
  
He followed his father into the house. He had a feeling he was going to enjoy his time here, and hoped he would get to hunt the white deer too. Elladan beaned him with a pillow as he walked in the door. Faelon snatched the pillow, smacked Elladan with it, and laid it gently on the chair it had originally been taken from.  
  
"Leave the furniture alone, both of you." Faelon said.  
  
He left the room to change his clothes.  
  
Elladan raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Is it just me, or did he just sound like father?" Elladan asked his twin.  
  
"No! You are absolutely right!" Elrohir said. "Eru save us, father's contagious!" 


	3. Chapter Three

Gilded Rose of the House of Gondolin  
  
By Ellie in ElfPajamas  
  
For disclaimer and other information (Genre, Rating, Summary, Advisories) see first chapter.  
  
Chapter three: A Feast Fit for a King  
  
Legolas couldn't wait. He was not a very patient Elf, and he'd set out early for Faelon's home. Two days early, in fact. He wasn't going to wait for the rest of the party, he wanted to get there before Erestor killed all the deer. The messenger had told him that Faelon had seen the white deer, two thousand years without Elves to hunt them had made them bold. And numerous. A white deer hide was a rare trophy indeed, and Legolas was not one to pass up an opportunity such as this. He hoped Glorfindel and Erestor wouldn't mind him hunting as well. Legolas was a prince, and thus had many horses. He was riding a chestnut one today. This one was as silent and swift as a deer, and was his favored hunting mount.  
  
As Naur crowned the small hill top and Legolas looked down into the valley below, he was amazed. Faelon had gotten really lucky, he decided. He could see servants going about their business, Faelon amongst them in his blue and gold. He saw Elladan on the doorstep, sharpening the heads of his arrows, and Elrohir was grooming his little mare, WhisperingSilver. Though hilltops were usually good for defense, the small fortress was idealy situated. Unless you were looking for it, it would escape your notice. The green stone almost blended into the forest, and the courtyard, though bustling with activity, would have been hard for any but Elven eyes to see. Legolas urged Naur to a trot and headed down into the valley toward the fortress.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Faelon saw Legolas coming. It was hard to miss that fair hair against a backdrop of green. He opened the gates so Legolas could just ride right in. Erestor and Elladan looked up from where they were sharpening arrows. Legolas came riding in through the gate.  
  
"Suilad, Lord Faelon!" he called. "You really lucked out, didn't you?!"  
  
Faelon laughed.  
  
"That I did. What brings you here early?" Faelon asked. "Any news from the palace?"  
  
"I wanted to hunt the white deer before Erestor and Glorfindel got them all. No news except Calad's feeling better, and she's warned father about what she's going to do when she gets here." Legolas replied. "I thought I was going to have to get the healers, the way he reacted."  
  
Faelon looked a little upset.  
  
"But I jest. He took it well. Happilly too, I might add. You turning out to be a lord really helped, I'm sure." Legolas said, a smile creeping across his face. "How are you, Faelon? Anything interesting happen here?"  
  
"I'm fine, nothing has happened since Lord Glorfindel stepped in the mopwater, though." Faelon said.  
  
Glorfindel colored a little.  
  
"Now Faelon, if you hadn't put that confounded bucket behind me that never would have happened!" Glorfindel retorted.  
  
"And if you watched where you were going, my lord, you would have avoided the embarassment altogether." Faelon shot back, smirking.  
  
Erestor laughed.  
  
"And you tripped over a rug, Erestor, don't think I missed that!" Glorfindel said. "That's why Faelon kicked us out of the house so he could do the cleaning without us messing it up!"  
  
Legolas laughed, sliding down from Naur's back.  
  
"I see life is not without its little embarassments, my lords, but I hope there will be none further." Legolas admonished, leading his horse over to the stable.  
  
Faelon followed the prince.  
  
"Legolas, really, how did your father take it?" Faelon asked.  
  
"Faelon, he was overjoyed. He was quite happy, and ordered the seamstresses to work faster. He's glad Calad has fallen in love with you and not someone he knows nothing about. He trusts you a whole lot more than I did." Legolas said, turning from Naur to Faelon.  
  
Legolas' eyes said he was sincere. Like most of his kind, Legolas rarely showed emotion on his face. But his eyes could tell you what his face would not. He and Faelon looked as different as night and day. Legolas was fair, Faelon dark, Legolas stoic, Faelon always had a ready smile.  
  
A commotion on the other side of the courtyard brought the unspoken communication to an end. Whisp was chasing Erestor in circles. Faelon laughed when the little mare nipped Erestor's shoulder. He hurried to the advisor's side and examined the bite. It wasn't too bad, it would be black and blue later, but Whisp's teeth hadn't broken the skin. Erestor was fuming. He wasn't that good with horses, his mount was one of the few who hadn't bitten him. Whisp had never liked him, and was very territorial. He'd come closer than she'd decided she liked.  
  
Many preparations were being made for the Elvenking's arrival. Deer had been cleaned and butchered, many types of fowl were being readied for cooking. Erestor was in his element. He knew how to oversee these things, and was a good hand at turning fowl on the spits. Faelon had requested that one deer and three fowl be set aside for him to work with. At days end, three deer and twelve fowl had been roasted and packed away to keep them fresh. Night fell, and most of the household retired to their rooms. But not Faelon. He was dressing the fowl he'd set aside. Before Calad had learned to ride, he'd worked in the kitchens, where the wise older cook had taught him many secrets to the trade. He quietly mixed herbs and spices with butter, then rubbed them under the skin of the plucked fowl. He did the same with the other two, and started on the deer.  
  
The pleasant aroma of spices and cooking fowl woke Glorfindel, who wandered down to see who was cooking at this hour of the night. He found Faelon in the kitchen, absorbed in his task. The half-Elf's hair was tied back, his sleeves rolled up and tied, the mortar and pestle sitting on the table in front of him, with various spices and herbs. Glorfindel listened as Faelon started to sing softly, trying to make out the words. They were in an unfamiliar tongue, which puzzled Glorfindel. Faelon had never been to a faraway country, he shouldn't know any languages that Glorfindel himself did not. Glorfindel recognized the names of some of the Valar in the song, but didn't know what they had to do with it. Glorfindel stood in the doorway watching, not knowing or caring if Faelon saw him there or not.  
  
Soon one of the fowl was done, and Faelon laid it on the table.  
  
"It's hot, but would you like to try it, Glorfindel?" Faelon asked, never looking up to the Elf in the doorway. "Come on, I know you're there."  
  
Glorfindel laughed softly and stepped into the kitchen.  
  
"It's a wonder half the household isn't down here to sample your cooking." Glorfindel laughed. "If it tastes half as good as it smells, we'll all become very fat Elves."  
  
Faelon laughed, testing another fowl on the spit to see if it was done.  
  
"I can't say as I agree with that, but it should at least be edible." he said. "Really Glorfindel, you shouldn't bother to waste your flattery on my cooking. Waste it on something more important, such as keeping in Erestor's good graces."  
  
Glorfindel laughed and took a small piece of the fowl to try. He tasted it and gave Faelon a surprised look.  
  
"Why do you downplay your cooking expertise? Don't want to be thought a maid for being an excellent cook?" Glorfindel exclaimed. "I don't think I've ever had anything quite like this."  
  
"It's better cold on slices of bread." Faelon said simply. "And I can't claim the recipe as my own, it belongs to Thranduil's head cook, just slightly modified."  
  
"You're an Elf of many talents, Faelon." said a voice from the doorway. "Any more I don't know about?"  
  
With that Legolas darted into the kitchen and around Glorfindel to see if the Balrog Slayer had been exagerating.  
  
Faelon laughed and handed Legolas a knief.  
  
"Don't marr the bird, cut a piece rather than pull it apart." he said. "And yes, I have other talents. I can weave, tan leather, and do a bit of blacksmithing too."  
  
Legolas laughed.  
  
"Why blacksmithing?" he asked Faelon.  
  
"Men shoe their horses. When I'm among the Rangers, occaisionally they have shod horses that need their shoes reset." Faelon said, putting the other two birds on the table. "I shoe Mithy and Shadow too. Just their forefeet. I shoe their forefeet to give them better traction on hard ground, and so that when I get in the middle of a fray I can make use of them almost as a weapon. Mithy was a little pigeon toed when he was small, I was able to correct that with shoeing."  
  
Faelon started to cut the meat off of the cooked fowl, arranging it carefully on a plate. The wings he placed in the center of the circle of soft meat, making the tray look quite decorative. Legolas sat on a nearby countertop, avidly enjoying the slice of meat he'd been given to try.  
  
"Faelon, you really shouldn't cook so well." Legolas groaned. "Even though Elves don't eat a lot, I know that if you let me I'd eat that until it made me sick!"  
  
Faelon laughed. He put the tray out of sight and turned to Legolas.  
  
"No, Legolas, you wouldn't. It starts to taste foul if you eat too much." Faelon said. "Calad likes it though, so I have to get a more suitable bird tomorrow to prepare for her. What you just sampled is tomorrow morning's breakfast."  
  
Legolas groaned again.  
  
"I have to wait until tomorrow?!" he whined. "You're so cruel!"  
  
The laughter in his eyes contradicted the whining of his mouth.  
  
Faelon picked up a wooden spoon and proceeded to chase the prince of Mirkwood up the steps to bed. Glorfindel chuckled and headed off to bed himself, his curiousity satisfied.  
  
Erestor was sound asleep, no pleasant smells or sounds of laughter got to him, not with his pillow wrapped around his head. Faelon thought it was awfully quiet in the advisor's room, and checked up on him. He sighed and pried the pillow away from Erestor's face.  
  
"For Eru's sake, Erestor! One of these days you're going to smother yourself." Faelon breathed, careful not to wake the sleeping Elf.  
  
Erestor continued to sleep peacefully, but now with one arm dangling over the side of the bed rather than holding the pillow in so dangerous a position. His dreams were peaceful too, and pleasant. He was dreaming about Melannen. Dreaming about those long, dark gold curls and laughing blue eyes. In Erestor's dreams Melannen's hair floated around her like a sunset cloud as she spun and danced, the luxuriant curls bouncing and feathering out. He watched the sunset in her eyes, watched the starshine reflected in them. In his mind's eye there was none so fair as Melannen, not even Arwen, although Estel would heartilly disagree with that. He smiled in his sleep, remembering her unexpected kiss.  
  
Faelon looked at Erestor's half lidded eyes, taking a guess at what the advisor was dreaming of. It was amusing, to say the least. But it also made Faelon glad that Melannen was probably coming with the royals, because that meant Erestor wouldn't have to sit next to Rinn. Faelon was in charge of seating arrangements, and he intended to put Rinn between Glorfindel and Elrond, and Erestor between Legolas and Melannen. That would be fun. Especially with Legolas seated beside Thranduil. And across from Rinn. That would be practically daring the mischeivious little Elf maid to shoot snowpeas at Legolas.  
  
Faelon was not above trying to play match maker, nor was he afraid of angering Elf-lords, so he was certainly going to make sure Erestor wasn't lacking for intelligent conversation. Erestor rolled over and said Melannen's name. It was all Faelon could do not to laugh. He quickly left the room headed downstairs to attend to the roasting deer. Sometimes Erestor was too amusing for his own good.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Faelon went hunting in the early hours of the morning while the dew was still in the undergrowth of the forest, and the birds were just beginning to stir. By the time the household woke, Faelon was already coming back in the gate with a large black swan. The bird had been easilly felled, he'd come upon it while it was still asleep. Shadow walked quietly into the courtyard bearing his master. Faelon dismounted, leading Shadow to the stable and feeding the horse, then headed up to the house with the bird. Rilaisseth looked at the bird questioningly.  
  
"What did you want a swan for?" she asked.  
  
"Caladriel. There's a special recipe of Nestoron's that she likes, I wanted to make it for her so she'll at least have something familiar to look at." Faelon said, laying the bird on the counter.  
  
"Do you want me to pluck it?" Rilaisseth asked.  
  
"No, I'll do it." Faelon said. "I hate being a lord and having nothing to do. I like to keep my hands busy."  
  
He proceeded to pluck the bird's feathers and carefully lay them aside. It was a goodly sized bird, and he knew it would cook well. A half hour latter he started with the butter and spices, ignoring Rilaisseth's watchful eye. He added a spice she'd never seen added to the recipe before and Rilaisseth tried to correct his 'error'.  
  
"Peace, Rilaisseth, it's what's known as a variation." Faelon said, then proceeded to further 'ruin' the recipe.  
  
Rilaisseth shook her head, unable to believe that Faelon thought he knew what he was doing.  
  
"You'll destroy the fowl, my lord." Rilaisseth sighed.  
  
Glorfindel slipped into the room and started to prowl around like a cat on the hunt, looking for something.  
  
"Faelon! Where is it? Where did you put it?" Glorfindel groaned, finally giving up.  
  
Faelon laughed.  
  
"Hold on, I'll go get it." Faelon said, leaving the kitchen.  
  
He returned with the fowl he'd made last night so it would be cold today.  
  
Glorfindel's eyes lit up.  
  
"Ah ha, so you hid it!" Glorfindel teased.  
  
"Yes, I didn't want to wake up and find that you and Legolas had left none for the rest of the household." Faelon laughed.  
  
Rilaisseth snagged a piece as Glorfindel meandered off with the plate.  
  
She tried it and sighed in defeat.  
  
"Fine, Faelon, cook the bird any way you want." with that she followed Glorfindel to the dining hall.  
  
Faelon started singing softly in that strange tongue again.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Innas, Elrond, Erestor, Legolas, and Faelon were working out the layout of the feast. Faelon was a decidedly original half-Elf, and his plan was simple. Combine a lot of Elven traditions to suit what he had on hand space-wise. He wanted to make use of the garden and courtyard by setting up tables in them for the guests. That way the Mirkwood and Imladris traditions could be merged in a servicable and practical manner. Faelon was wearing his deep green hunting clothes, and was obviously quite ready to get dirty and physically help with the setup. Legolas too looked ready to pitch in. Innas was always ready for anything. He was an unusual looking Elf, slightly more burly than most because of the manual labor he often did.  
  
Four and a half hours later, the courtyard and garden were hung with lights, tables were arranged, and decisions regarding the food and timing of courses had been made. Faelon had a smudge of dirt on his cheekbone, Legolas' blond locks were dirtied, and Innas had put holes in the knees of his leggings. Erestor and Elrond were completely unscathed, they'd been arranging the sources of illumination. Night was fast coming on, and all was ready for the next day.  
  
The House of Beriorchan was at long last ready for the royal visit.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Melannen rode beside the princess of Mirkwood, unsure of how to react to her invitation to the feast Lord Beriorgan had prepared. She'd been expressly invited, and didn't know what to make of it. Caladriel was a very happy, very cheerful she-Elf, which also slightly confused Melannen. She didn't particularly care for the steed she rode, either, the creature had a poor gait at the walk.  
  
Erestor went about his business, attending to last minute preparations. There were very few things that had been forgotten, Faelon had seen to that, having checked and double checked. Erestor made sure that the firepit was full of hot coals for roasting meat, and made sure water was nearby incase any should singe themselves. Faelon was running around in his hunting clothes, the thorough and busy young lord had not yet found time to dress properly. Erestor watched in amusement as Elrond seized Faelon by his dark curls and dragged him (protesting all the way) toward the house. When Faelon returned he was clad in his blue and gold, his hair elaborately braided and pulled back away from his face and ears. He looked embarassed too.  
  
The Elvenking's party had been sighted on the hilltop, prompting Glorfindel, Erestor, Elrond, Elladan, Elrohir, Estel, and Elrond to stand near to Faelon in the courtyard as they awaited the guests. Hemmed in between Faelon and Elrond (an uncomfortable place, to be sure), Erestor watched and waited, scarcely daring to think about hoping Melannen would be among the guests. She had told him that she'd once lived down this way, and although she hadn't said she wasn't going to return, he didn't think it was quite logical for her to be returning just yet. He knew Enetheru, Faelon's comical uncle, would certainly be in the party, and was hoping the cheerful sandy-haired Elf would sit by him rather than Rinn. Anyone would be better than Rinn, at the moment. Erestor shut his eyes for a moment, sending a silent prayer up to the Valar that the Elves he would be sitting with would not be a certain golden haired lord and dark eyed daughter of Elrond.  
  
When Erestor looked up again, he thought he must have fallen asleep while praying again. Surely that couldn't be her! Why would she be riding at the princess of Mirkwood's right hand? She looked displeased with her mount, but she certainly looked real. Estel snickered behind him and Faelon gently nudged him with his elbow, a warm smile on his face.  
  
"Erestor, you fool, go help the lady Melannen to dismount!" Faelon whispered through his teeth, keeping the smile pasted on.  
  
Erestor felt a flush threaten to creep up his neck and fought it as he walked in what felt like slow motion to Melannen's side.  
  
She looked just as surprised as he.  
  
"Lord Erestor! I thought you and Lord Glorfindel were out hunting!" she exclaimed.  
  
"We haven't left yet, we were helping Lord Faelon with the feast." Erestor said, surprised he sounded as calm and reassured as he did.  
  
"Then that is my good fortune, it will be nice to speak with you." Melannen replied, equally surprised that her voice did not waver.  
  
Erestor sent another prayer winging to the Valar that he'd be sitting with Melannen. He'd much prefer sitting beside her. Melannen slid lightly down from her mount's back, not needing Erestor to catch her. He did anyway. He'd had so much trouble with horses it was mere force of habit. Enetheru led his horse and Melannen's mount to the stables, leaving Melannen and Erestor standing there looking at each other.  
  
"I missed you." Melannen ventured.  
  
"And I you." Erestor replied, trying to think of words to say.  
  
Faelon was having much more success, having known Caladriel since childhood, he had all the familiarity of those days to fall back on even now. He led her to the table, telling her of the happenings that she had not been present for. Her light laughter at the mishaps of Glorfindel and Erestor bounced off the walls of the enclosure. Melannen instinctively headed in Faelon's direction, knowing she should thank him for her invitation. Erestor followed like a loyal puppy. He merely wanted to be in her presence, wanted to listen to her words and admire her. He was naturally quiet, so it was obviously hard for him to really say anything to her.  
  
Erestor was frightening himself with how fast he was becoming attached to this maiden. There were many maidens that he had once thought a great deal of, but this was the first one that had actually taken an interest in him. It was comforting, really, to know that someone liked him for who he was, not what he was. There were few who knew Erestor aside from being Elrond's advisor, and few that cared enough to know. It was nice to have respect, but respect without caring was just a nuisance. Given a choice, Erestor would rather have been well liked instead of respected. He hoped that the fact he was quiet would not drive Melannen away.  
  
Faelon had managed to get place cards on the table before the guests arrived, and too late for Erestor to sneak a peek. He automatically looked for Rinn's placecard. His was not beside it, much to his surprise. The Rivendell Elves were dispersed among the company, not lumped together. Elladan and Elrohir were on either side of Enetheru, Estel was between Erestor and Legolas, and his name was between Estel and Melannen! Either the Valar had ordered it that way, or Faelon had known all along. The goodnatured sparkle in the young lord's eyes pointed toward the latter. The Elves milled about for a while, talking and seeking out friends, and then Faelon called them to the tables. Elladan and Elrohir were quite happy to be sitting beside Enetheru, for the tales he could tell, and Estel was overjoyed to be seated with his best friend. The seating arrangement looked random, though it was anything but. Only Rinn was displeased, she couldn't get away with much when seated at her father's side. Elrond was thankful to be able to keep an eye on his youngest daughter, Glorfindel was thankful to be sitting near someone who would keep his intake of wine to a minimum. Rinn looked longingly at the peas and then at Legolas. She really wanted to fling them, oh boy did she, but with her father watching her every move, it was out of the question.  
  
Many delightful dishes were brought to the tables by the proud serving staff. Calad looked surprised to see her favorite dish set before her, but she knew Faelon had to have something to do with it. She looked at him with thankful eyes. Talk and laughter stretched long into the evening, as did the meal, but eventually all eyes turned to Faelon, and it was time.  
  
"My Lord Thranduil, it has long been my intention, but only recently a proper one, to ask you for your daughter's hand in marriage. You are a wise king, and cannot have failed to notice that I love her. And so, my liege, I ask to marry your daughter. Do I have your blessing?" Faelon said simply.  
  
Thranduil smiled.  
  
"One need not be wise to see something not hidden. If my daughter is like minded to you, you have my blessing." the Elvenking said. "Although I already know she is like minded because she's been begging me for days."  
  
Many of the Elven lords laughed, Glorfindel included. Erestor only smiled, it was rare for him to laugh. Calad looked at Faelon with impish eyes. Faelon grinned at his bride to be, knowing how determined she was. Her father was probably glad to be getting rid of her.  
  
"That was adorable." Melannen giggled.  
  
"Yes, it was. She can be funny at times." Erestor said, hiding a smile.  
  
"So, are you and Glorfindel setting out tomorrow?" Melannen asked.  
  
"Yes, have to bring those pelts back to prove to Elrond once and for all that I *can* hunt." Erestor joked.  
  
"Erestor, if you step across my threshold in less than two weeks, I'll tie you up and lock you in a wardrobe." Elrond threatened. "At least until my two week vacation from advisors is up."  
  
Melannen laughed.  
  
"And supposing Beriorchan confiscates him first?" she taunted.  
  
"Then I'll come for him." Elrond said. "I need him back eventually."  
  
Erestor eyed Melannen in surprise. He wondered what she'd meant.  
  
"Well, you may have to fight the realm of Mirkwood for him, he's quite entertaining and likable." Melannen said. "It's a wonder you dare let him out of Imladris."  
  
Elrond's eyes twinkled.  
  
"I only dare do so once every thousand years. Any less often and he gets cranky. Right, Erestor?" Elrond laughed.  
  
"True, my lord." Erestor replied. "But suppose I decide I like Mirkwood better?"  
  
"Ahh, then you'll have to find a way to visit me weekly." Elrond said. "I can't find advisors like you anymore, there's a shortage."  
  
Erestor fairly glowed with pride. It was nice to feel needed.  
  
"I know good advisors are hard to come by. But can we at least borrow him more often?" Melannen asked.  
  
"I don't mind being borrowed unless it's for target practice." Erestor quipped, looking at Melannen.  
  
The meal went on with the light hearted debate between the three Elves, the other two unknowingly building up Erestor's self-esteem.  
  
Melannen and Elrond disappeared for a bit after the meal, and Erestor got a glimpse of them in animated conversation in an out of the way corner. He didn't try to insert himself, instead he watched as some of the Elves got the bright idea to have a dancing competition.  
  
Elven lords and ladies spun and twirled late into the night under the friendly stars, Calad and Faelon, Erestor and Melannen among them. It was only in the early morning hours that they all said good night. 


	4. Chapter Four

Gilded Rose of the House of Gondolin  
  
By Ellie in ElfPajamas  
  
For disclaimer and other information (Genre, Rating, Summary, Advisories) see first chapter.  
  
Chapter four: At Long Last, Vacation!  
  
Erestor flopped onto the ground with a groan of pleasure. It felt so good to be off a horse's back! Glorfindel shook his head at his friend, mocking the advisor's delight in being on solid ground. Glorfindel dropped a pack near Erestor's head.  
  
"I take it we camp here for the night." Glorfindel said, more stating a fact than asking.  
  
Erestor only nodded.  
  
Glorfindel flopped down on the ground to see what Erestor was staring at.  
  
All that there was to see was the canopy of leaves far overheard.  
  
"Dreaming, my friend?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"Yes...." Erestor said tentatively.  
  
Glorfindel grinned wickedly.  
  
"Let me guess, about a certain Mirkwood damsel?" Glorfindel teased.  
  
Erestor sat up and looked down at Glorfindel, his silvery eyes wide in shock.  
  
"What??? How do you know?" Erestor exclaimed.  
  
The golden haired Elf on the ground just started to laugh, until Erestor punched him in the stomach. Faelon's words about staying in Erestor's good graces came back to Glorfindel in a rush as he tried to catch his breath.  
  
"I take it that if I cross you this could be a quite painful vacation." Glorfindel teased.  
  
"No, unless you tease me to distraction, this will be a peaceful hunting trip." Erestor growled.  
  
Even he realized his attitude was funny, and they both had a decent laugh over it.  
  
"So what are we going to hunt, Glor? Orcs? Spiders? White deer?" Erestor asked.  
  
"Can't eat Spiders or Orcs, so I'd stick to the deer." Glorfindel said, being unusually serious. "We'll kill any malevolent beasties we should happen to encounter."  
  
Erestor lay quiet for a moment, soaking in the soft sunlight that slipped between the leaves. It felt so good to be out alone with his best friend! But now that he was out in the wilds he wanted to see, his heart longed to be back amongst the merry Mirkwood Elves in Faelon's household. Melannen had seen them off that morning, which was a memory that Erestor was already eagerly reliving.  
  
Glorfindel sighed contentedly.  
  
"Glor? How does one go about courting a damsel?" Erestor asked quietly.  
  
It was Glorfindel's turn to be shocked.  
  
"Are you really that crazy about Melannen already??" Glorfindel exclaimed. "She's pretty, I know, but how much do you actually know about her?"  
  
"Not much." Erestor ruefully replied. "Only what I could squeeze out of she, Calad, and Faelon."  
  
Glorfindel flopped again.  
  
This was too much too fast for his comfort. He felt like he was a bit too old for this, and almost wished that he hadn't been reborn. It was difficult to deal with the traditions of the Third Age. He would have just told the damsel he loved her, but of course nowadays it had to be more complicated than that. Glorfindel suddenly felt like an ancient artifact. And Erestor looked more like a child in his eyes. It was strange the things life could throw at you.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Glorfindel sat with his knees pulled up to his chest. It had been a difficult day of hunting, Erestor had fallen into a pit that neither of them had noticed, and he himself had then proceeded to fall out of a tree into a scummy pond. He was a little sore, slightly bruised, and a bit humbled. Erestor was sound asleep on the other side of their little campfire. Asfaloth and Earen shuffled around near their masters. Glorfindel pulled his hood over his head and half-shut his eyes. He was much too old for this, much to old to have phobias that only children should. He shouldn't have such a fear of this beneficial element. But he did. He felt so frightened and alone, vulnerable and small, in the presence of a fire, regardless of its size. Even in Rivendell's Halls of Fire he was the Elf furthest from the fire. He'd held it in for so long, hidden the mesmerizing effects the dancing flames had on him, camoflaged the terror that the errant sparks held.  
  
He was terrified of fire.  
  
It was excusable, understandable. He'd been slain by a creature of fire, and it had scarred him mentally, if not physically.  
  
Erestor had had sound reasons for lighting the small campfire. One, he was wet and wanted to wake up dry, two, humans were not too observant and might mistake the faintly glowing Elves for Orcs in the dark, three, Spiders were averse to being singed. Sound reasons all, but not sound enough for Glorfindel. He wasn't going to tell Erestor exactly why he was so opposed to the fire, he wasn't too sure of all the reasons himself. The firelight refracted off the clear membrane over Erestor's eyes, turning the silver depths a rainbow of hues. It wasn't so much beautiful as it was creepy.  
  
Glorfindel himself had never quite gotten used to the idea of watching fellow Elves sleep. He could only imagine how strange it looked to a mortal. He sighed deeply. He blinked, and a scene seemed to emerge from the fire. Gondolin. He couldn't have looked away if he'd tried. He felt the familiar anguish of watching his home burn, of seeing the evil minions of Morgoth circle the city as though it was theirs. He remembered guarding the flank of the refugees so vividly, trying to keep them all from death. He didn't want to lose more of the meager remnant, he couldn't afford to lose more. It hurt too much already to have lost those that hadn't made it out.  
  
He fought off the Goblins and Orcs bravely, desparate to keep the remnant safe. Then the Balrog came. Glorfindel's heart skipped a beat, and his mouth was dry with fear. He was afraid, but he knew he had to fight this beast anyway, he had to defeat it at all costs, he couldn't afford to lose. His weapons flashed in the light cast by the creature of flame, the golden haired Elf fought valiantly against the foe that was twice his size.  
  
Asfaloth knew that Glorfindel was in trouble, and tried desparately to bring his beloved master's mind back to the present. He nudged Glorfindel's back and shoulders repeatedly, trying to get through to him. The frightened stallion's efforts were in vain. He put his ears back in annoyance, trying to think of another way to save his master. He looked to Erestor. Perhaps the cranky Elf could help. He nudged Erestor awake. Erestor woke up mumbling something that sounded like "Melannen?" Asfaloth got desparate, seizing the bewildered advisor's cloak in his teeth and forcing him to look at Glorfindel.  
  
Glorfindel could feel the heat that radiated off of the Balrog, feel it drying out his skin. He knew that in was only a matter of time before the flames engulfed him, it was like being face to face with a blast furnace. In a last ditch effort, he drove a dagger into the beast, knocking it from the safe footing of the cliff, then blindly tried to scramble up the cliff. He felt it grab him by his hair, felt his neck snap back as it pulled him down with it into the abyss. He was falling, falling, falling....  
  
Erestor gasped and quickly dove at Glorfindel, knocking the Elf backward and smothering the greedy flames that had begun to lick at his long golden hair.  
  
Glorfindel gasped as previously dead Ecthelion leapt into view and pinned him to the cliff, throwing a cloak over his head.  
  
Erestor summoned all his strength to hold struggling Glorfindel to the ground. He wasn't sure of what had happened, but he knew whatever it was had not been good. Glorfindel fought him like a wildcat.  
  
"Glorfindel! Glorfindel! Listen to me! Oh Iluvatar, what in the name of the Valar is wrong with you?" Erestor cried, taking a fairly hard blow from Glorfindel's knee.  
  
Glorfindel seized Erestor and momentarilly threw him off. Erestor held him down again, this time digging his fingers into Glorfindel's tunic.  
  
"Do you need my help or do you want me to go away?" Erestor growled in frustration.  
  
Glorfindel grabbed him and flipped him over, pinning him to the ground.  
  
"Erestor?"  
  
"Yes, Glorfindel, last time I checked that was my name."  
  
Glorfindel lightly smacked his friend in the head with a rolled up cloak. The action brought his singed locks into his sightline.  
  
Glorfindel sat down, suddenly realizing why Erestor had tackled him. He swallowed hard. He hadn't realized that he'd just stuck his head in the fire, and the fact that he'd done it without noticing it and he'd been awake at the time scared him.  
  
"I'm sorry Erestor, I-I didn't mean to knee you in the stomach, I-I didn't know what was going on..."  
  
Erestor saw the haunted look that surfaced in his friend's eyes and put his hand on the other Elf's shoulder.  
  
"Don't give in to them Glorfindel. They are only memories, they cannot hurt you now."  
  
"But they do." Glorfindel sighed. "I miss it, I miss my homeland, all the friends and comrades I lost, you understand, I know you do."  
  
Erestor nodded slightly. He did understand, he too had lost much that was dear to him. He smiled softly as a memory of his mother came to his mind.  
  
"What was she like?" Glorfindel asked quietly, almost seeing the raven haired she-Elf dance in his eyes.  
  
"She was wonderful." Erestor said softly. "I owe her so much."  
  
He plucked a blade of grass and twirled it in his fingers.  
  
"She taught me so much."  
  
"What's your fondest memory of her?" Glorfindel asked, in the back of his mind thinking of the first she-Elf he'd loved as well.  
  
Erestor laughed softly.  
  
"I guess I was about ten. One of the other Elves, he was a bit of a bully, and he picked on me all the time. He made the mistake of doing it in front of my mother one time, and almost didn't live to tell about it. He punched me, knocked me down, and kicked me, then my mother came running, her eyes blazing, her hair all streaming out, this frightening crazed look in her eyes. She jumped on that bully and beat him black and blue, telling him that if she ever caught him picking on me again, she'd come after him with her rolling pin." Erestor said. "What's yours?"  
  
Glorfindel laughed.  
  
"Mine? I was a teenager, and Ecthelion and I were playing near the Fountain in Gondolin. We were having a mock fight, sheathed swords and all. He backed me up to the base of the fountain, and I lost my balance and fell in. My mother was watching from a nearby friend's home, and she knew that I couldn't swim, which Ecthelion had forgotten. I was floundering in the basin of this fountain, drowning, and my mother jumps in, pulls me out, and gives me a sound spanking! I never messed around near water again until I learned to swim." Glorfindel laughed, then sobered a little. "That was the same fountain Ecthelion and the Balrog drowned in."  
  
Erestor sighed.  
  
"My mother was killed when Eregion fell."  
  
Both sat in silence for a moment, Asfaloth sneezed all over the back of Glorfindel's cloak.  
  
Erestor stood and doused the fire, and noticing Glorfindel's puzzled look, he said;  
  
"A fire many times brighter burns in your heart, my friend. You don't need any competition."  
  
With that Erestor wrapped up in his cloak, laid down on the soft forest leaflitter, and went back to sleep.  
  
"Thank you, Erestor." Glorfindel whispered.  
  
He was soon asleep as well.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The sun woke before the two Elves did. She smiled down on them, warming their sleepy bodies with her golden rays, enjoying as the light reflected off the soft golden hair of the gilded rose that lay on the ground so near the one whose hair was so black it reflected light in a deep shade of blue. Erestor was first to stir, and that was because Earen was nudging him. A massive white buck stood in the center of the camp. For a moment Erestor was shocked. But not too shocked to down it. It was a quick, clean kill, and the soft thump of the deer hitting the ground woke Glorfindel.  
  
"Erestor! You did it! You downed a trophy white buck!" the half awake Elf exclaimed. "Wait until Melannen sees this!"  
  
Erestor blushed, thinking the same thing.  
  
"I'm sure Faelon would mount it for you, that's a trophy worth showing off."  
  
"We'll swing by there this afternoon, maybe you'll get your kill before then." Erestor said, walking over to the carcass to admire the spread of the antlers. "What a lucky break! It really isn't often I get lucky, you know."  
  
Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"I know. I don't exactly help matters, do I?" he teased.  
  
Erestor laughed and set about tying the buck's limbs together.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Two happy hunters rode into Faelon's courtyard that afternoon with fine trophy bucks slung across their horse's haunches. Faelon agreed to have the trophies mounted, Innas was skilled at the task and he would do it.  
  
This time as they rode back out the gate, it was understood that they would be returning to Rivendell after a few more days hunting. Faelon wished them well and sang that strange song again as they left. Glorfindel now understood it to be a song of protection, but the words were lost to him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Two exhausted Elves were sacked out side by side. A thunderstorm would not have woken them. They'd spent the entire afternoon chasing deer, and they were spent. There was no campfire this night, Glorfindel's incident with fire the night before had seen to that.  
  
Twelve bearded figures walked carelessly through the dark forest. They were merry with mead, they heeded nothing. They didn't notice the sleeping Elves until they stepped on Erestor. Erestor looked up in surprise, his eyes meeting the rheumy eyes of a very drunk dwarf. He kicked Glorfindel to wake the unsuspecting Elf. Elves and Dwarves were no great friends. As Glorfindel stirred and asked Erestor what was wrong, a dwarf struck him hard on the back with the flat side of his axe. The harsh laughter of the drunken Dwarves filled the clearing as Glorfindel cried out. Erestor reached for the sword in his belt. He was reluctant to do this, it was one thing to kill Spiders with it, it was entirely another to be killing dwarves.  
  
"Get away from him." Erestor said softly, unsheathing the bright weapon.  
  
The dwarves sneered at the dark-haired Elf.  
  
"And just what do you think you're going to do against the twelve of us?" asked the head dwarf, looking pleased with himself.  
  
Two dwarves jumped Erestor from behind and wrestled him to the ground. He heard them hit Glorfindel again and hoped that the golden haired Elf's gasp had nothing to do with mortal wounds and broken bones. The dwarves were really too drunk to understand that they were beating two Elves who had done nothing to them. Erestor felt tears of shame burn his eyes. He should have heard the dwarves, this should not have happened. The dwarves had heavy fists, and they were not merciful with them. Before they were finished Erestor's nose and mouth were bloodied and Glorfindel didn't look any better. Glorfindel graced one dwarf with a defiant, savage gaze, only to be repaid with a blow to the jaw. Erestor was shocked to see the advisor crumple to the ground. He did something he never thought he'd do. He bit the nearest dwarf. The dwarf howled in pain, releasing his grip on Erestor's shoulder. The enraged Elf wrested an axe from a nearby dwarf and swung it around at them.  
  
"Be gone or be dead! Your choice!" Erestor growled.  
  
His jet black hair wafted about his face, giving him a savage appearance, the moonlight lent an icy glint to his silver eyes. He was not one to be toyed with.  
  
The dwarves feared the effects of one their own weapons in the hands of an angry Elf and ran for their lives.  
  
Erestor dropped the axe and ran to Glorfindel's side, dropping to his knees to check on his friend. Glorfindel was curled in on himself, a good defensive position. A bruise was blossoming on the underside of his jawbone where the dwarf's knuckles had made contact. He was out like a light. That blow had knocked him unconscious, and more than likely had given him a concussion.  
  
Erestor cursed softly under his breath. He hated being out at night where dwarves were present. They were volatile creatures, senseless idiots when drunk. Elves weren't much smarter when they were drunk, but they were certainly less violent. He drew Glorfindel onto his lap and looked at the unconscious Elf's eyes. Glorfindel blinked at the unexpected brightness of the moonlight. Erestor sighed in relief.  
  
"Not dead, only stunned, huh, Glorfindel?" Erestor teased.  
  
Glorfindel rubbed his jaw.  
  
"Oww, I hate dwarf fists!" he moaned.  
  
Erestor stuffed a cloak under Glorfindel's head before getting up and out from under him.  
  
"I can't believe we didn't hear them coming!" Erestor sighed.  
  
"They shouldn't have been coming, only Faelon hasn't been able to station all the sentries on the borders yet. They've trespassed here for almost a thousand years now, it doesn't matter to them that he's come back." Glorfindel said matter-of-factly.  
  
"I hope he gets around to it soon, it isn't fun to be snuck up on by dwarves in the middle of the night!" Erestor laughed softly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
On a balcony, overlooking the woods, an Elf knew his spell had failed. His friends had come to harm, against his will. His eyes sought the shine of golden locks as the early morning sunlight filtered over the forest. Glorfindel's presence had been declared by sun on gold the past two mornings, would this one break pattern?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Erestor stretched painfully. Bruised muscles were no joke. At least it hadn't rained. He sighed and looked over at Glorfindel. Glorfindel was peacefully asleep. It turned out that he didn't have a concussion, just a bruised jaw and a couple gooseggs. Erestor quietly set about putting breakfast together, occaisionally looking at Glorfindel and contemplating waking the gilded Elf. The sun did it for him. Her golden rays washed over Glorfindel, making his hair look like liquid gold. He stirred, reluctant to get up. But the sun urged him, brightening the clearing until he had to get up.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The Elf on the balcony relaxed, seeing the shimmer of Elven gold, undimmed. He turned from the forest, whispering in a strange language.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Glorfindel stopped talking and turned, listening intently. He'd heard a voice in the wind.  
  
"What is it, Glorfindel?" Erestor asked, wondering why the conversation had been abruptly cut off.  
  
"I heard a voice on the wind." Glorfindel said, puzzled. "It was a strange voice, familiar almost."  
  
Erestor frowned.  
  
"Have you noticed that Faelon sings songs in some wierd language? I've never heard it before." Erestor said. "I can't imagine where he learned it."  
  
Glorfindel shrugged.  
  
"Perhaps from Mithrandir. It sounds interesting though, did you hear the song about the dragon?" Glorfindel asked.  
  
"Dragon? No, I don't think so. How do you know it's about a dragon?" Erestor asked. "Do you remember how it goes?"  
  
"Elrond knows it. He says it's about a dragon. It goes like this:  
  
Win dain a lotica  
En val tu ri  
Si lo ta  
Fin dein a loluca  
En dragu a sei lain  
Vi fa-ru les shutai am  
En riga-lint  
  
Win chent a lotica  
En val tu ri  
Silota  
Fin dein a loluca  
Si katigura neuver  
Floreria for chesti  
Si entina  
  
Lalala...  
Fontina Blu Cent  
De cravi esca letisimo  
Lalala...  
De quantian  
La finde reve  
  
Win dain a lotica  
En val tu ri  
Si lo ta  
Fin dein a loluca  
En dragu a sei lain  
Vi fa-ru les shutai am  
En riga-lint.*"  
  
Erestor felt chills for a moment.  
  
"What does it mean?" he asked.  
  
"Elrond said it was something like in the darkness the dragon wakes, to a heart numbed with cold the dragon takes, with you at my side the dragon sleeps, on dragon wing your wishes will leap. It's an odd one really. It isn't in the extra language Faelon speaks, it's a different one he says he learned from someone, it's an ancient language. But that bugs me because I'm an Elf of the First Age and I don't understand that language, how does he?" Glorfindel mused.  
  
"I get the feeling that there's a lot about Faelon we don't know, and not all of it is good." Erestor said darkly. "I'm beginning to think these woods are bewitched."  
  
~~~Footnote~~~  
  
* "Sora". Ancient Romanjii, cannot be fully translated. Not supposed to be Romanjii in this story, I chose it for its exotic sound and look. 


	5. Chapter Five

Gilded Rose of the House of Gondolin  
  
By Canon Killer Ellie  
  
For disclaimer and other information (Genre, Rating, Summary, Advisories) see first chapter.  
  
Chapter five: Orcs and Overkill.  
  
"Erestor, I mean it! Keep this up and we'll be able to use the hides of the deer you shoot as sieves!" Glorfindel squawked, looking at the deer Erestor had just brought down. "Ever try downing it with one arrow and being sure it's dead then? Honestly, Erestor, there is no reason to fill it full of arrows just because it's still twitching!"  
  
"I just want to be sure it's really dead!" Erestor protested.  
  
"Ai Valar! I certainly hope Melannen is not nearly so paranoid as you!" Glorfindel said.  
  
He shuddered, thinking of what Erestor's children could be like if they were paranoid as well.  
  
The scarey thing was that Glorfindel was not very imaginative, and yet he could picture that quite vividly. He swallowed raggedly, chilled by his own imagination. He looked down at Erestor, who was quietly pulling arrows out of a sincerely dead deer. There were seven in this one, a startling contrast to the trophy buck he'd downed with one shot. Erestor's hair was back in one lazy braid, they were on vacation and there was no need to look lordly. Glorfindel's expression softened as he listened to Erestor's muttering. Erestor was a dear friend, one he'd be quite lost without, but sometimes he acted so juvenile, it made Glorfindel feel old. Glorfindel smiled at this thought. He was old! Erestor was only a child in comparison really, but they both seemed older than their years.  
  
Glorfindel knelt beside Erestor and started helping with the arrows.  
  
"I'm sorry Erestor. I shouldn't have said that. I talk faster than I think." he said. "Forgive me?"  
  
"I talk faster than I think, I write faster than I talk, I'm in a sorry position too, Glor." Erestor said. "But of course I forgive you."  
  
Erestor smiled thinly.  
  
"I also shoot faster than my brain processes the fact that I hit the target." he said.  
  
Glorfindel laughed out loud.  
  
"Did you know I have a psycotic aversion to Orcs? If I see them I just have to kill them!" Glorfindel said. "Don't feel bad, we all have little quirks, it's what makes us unique. Look at the bright side, you can exagerate when you tell Lindir, and he'll make you into some sort of hero in one of those silly ballads of his!"  
  
Erestor laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling.  
  
"Yes, that Lindir, such an exagerating, annoying creature! I half think he would write a ballad about Estel falling off a horse if it sounded good!"  
  
Glorfindel laughed and nodded.  
  
"You know, we really need to get away from Imladris more often, you're a lot less crabby away from your duties." he teased Erestor. "It's nice to be able to act like an Elfling for the fun of it."  
  
Erestor smiled and nodded.  
  
"I kind of wish we'd let the twins and Legolas join us." he said. "Legolas isn't so bad now, what a difference a week can make, huh?"  
  
Glorfindel agreed.  
  
"We've only got three more days left in our vacation, then we have to head back. I guess we should see to provisions, right?" Glorfindel said, finally looking to the serious side of their hunt.  
  
"We can make jerky from this one. As for water, there's a lake nearby, the horses have been pulling for it all day." Erestor said, in command of the situation as always.  
  
"I take it you have everything figured out as usual." Glorfindel teased.  
  
Erestor assumed a kingly air.  
  
"Of course! What kind of fool do you dare think I am?!" Erestor kidded.  
  
A smile turned up the corners of Glorfindel's mouth, and a muscle in his cheek twitched as he tried to hold back his laughter.  
  
"That would depend, oh great king Erestor, on how many kinds of fool there are."  
  
Erestor mock backhanded Glrofindel, knocking the surprised Elf-Lord into the leaf litter.  
  
"You said it was nice to act like an Elfling again, so..."  
  
Erestor wrestled with the more powerful warrior Elf, for once regretting that he hadn't sparred with the twins more often. Glorfindel was stronger than he was, and soon Erestor had been thrown down in the dirt and Glorfindel had him in a headlock and was noogieing him mercilessly.  
  
"I yield! I yield!" Erestor cackled, trying to wriggle free.  
  
Glorfindel released Erestor, his eyes sparkling with laughter.  
  
Elrohir tried hard not to laugh as he looked at his twin.  
  
"You know Ressi and Glor would kill us if they knew we were spying on them." he breathed in Elladan's ear.  
  
"I know that, but they're so funny! I wish I'd known Erestor was that much fun before, I wouldn't have tormented him so much!" Elladan laughed softly, watching the two advisors below him.  
  
The twins were perched in a tree, originally they'd been hunting, but a chance to eavesdrop on the two counselors and watch them while they thought they were alone was just too good to pass up.  
  
"They should have been brothers." Elrohir said quietly. "Except Glor is ancient."  
  
"Ressi's no spring chicken either, Roh." Elladan giggled.  
  
"I'm telling him you said that." Elrohir threatened, trying not to laugh.  
  
They watched as the two counselors, different as night and day, scuffled again, this time with Glorfindel voicing the finer points of self- defense.  
  
"Think maybe we should take some pity on Glor's old bones?" joked Elrohir.  
  
"Now I'm telling! That was just cruel!" Elladan fired back.  
  
An unexpected gust of wind knocked the arguing twins from the tree and they landed at the feet of "Ressi". He sighed.  
  
"You two couldn't stalk a deaf deer." Erestor said. "Why are you here?"  
  
Elrohir grinned sheepishly.  
  
"We just wanted to make sure you two ancients were well." he said.  
  
Erestor smacked the younger Elf.  
  
"We're quite well, Elrohir. Go home now, youngling." Erestor replied.  
  
"Did you two see Erestor's prize deer?" asked a voice from the tree above.  
  
Faelon hopped lightly down from the branches, handing a pack to Erestor.  
  
"Your trophies are on the way to Rivendell, with notes as to who shot what. Innas mounted the heads and made the hides into pelts, I hope that's what you wanted." Faelon said. "In the pack is some deer jerky and a small flask of wine. I hope you have a safe trip home."  
  
Erestor resisted the urge to throw his arms around the young lord. Somehow Faelon reminded him of a little child that needed to be hugged. A sparkle of laughter in Faelon's eyes told him that the young half-Elf had a fair idea of what Erestor was thinking.  
  
"Oh, and Erestor, I know this is a little early, but happy birthday. I hope this one will be better than some past." Faelon said, giving the twins a meaningful look.  
  
They smiled sheepishly, remembering that Faelon had been in Rivendell last year on Erestor's birthday. He'd evidently seen them tormenting their favorite counselor.  
  
"I have to be getting back to the manor, so I wish you all well. Rilaisseth seldom lets me out." Faelon joked. "I half think she's worried I'll run away and she won't get to cook for my wedding!"  
  
Faelon started back then stopped and looked at the twins.  
  
"Elladan, Elrohir, if you want to continue to hunt in these woods you had better go back to hunting deer or fowl." he said. "Stalking advisors is against the rules."  
  
Elrohir cracked up, getting to his feet and following Faelon.  
  
"Oh well. They're kind of stringy anyway." Elrohir said, falling into step beside the green cloaked lord.  
  
A rock hit Elrohir's back, provoking a cry of surprise from the Elf. He turned to see Erestor wielding another one as Elladan came hurtling at him. The twins got the message and ran. Faelon laughed as the sons of Elrond took off through the woods like frightened deer.  
  
"Stoning the sons of an Elven Lord is also off limits, Erestor." Faelon said. "It is not good for diplomatic relations."  
  
Glorfindel smothered a laugh at the sight of Erestor's crazed grin. Erestor was just having too much fun.Glorfindel really prefered this side of his friend to the grumpy pessemistic persona he usually presented to the world. There was something rather endearing about it.  
  
"To Mordor with diplomacy!" Erestor muttered, then started rummaging throught the pack Faelon had dropped off.  
  
In the bottom, carefully wrapped in soft cloths to protect it, was a cameo of Melannen. The blue layer of the stone that served as the background contrasted beautifully with the ivory layer in which her face was relief-carved. A small note in with it explained it.  
  
"Well, Erestor, here is your birthday present from Calad, Legolas, Melannen, and I. I meant to give it to you before you left, but it was astonishingly hard to get Melannen to sit still long enough for Legolas to finish it. Yes, believe it or not Legolas does have the patience to fashion jewelry, he just hasn't quite figured out how to make the settings for it. This is set in mithril, there is a chain for it wrapped in the cloth, I hope you didn't lose it!"  
  
Glorfindel, reading over Erestor's shoulder, shook out the cloth and caught the chain when it fell out. He put the tiny cameo on the chain and handed it to dumbstruck Erestor.  
  
"Well, are you going to wear it or stare at it?" Glorfindel asked. "I admit I've never seen a male Elf wearing a cameo though, but Faelon did at least choose a masculine looking chain for it, and the settings are nice."  
  
Erestor blushed slightly and pulled open the collar of his tunic to reveal another cameo, in rose pink and white.  
  
"Well, now you've heard of it, Glorfindel, I wear my mother's cameo all the time."  
  
Glorfindel looked surprised.  
  
"I always knew you had more secrets than I could fathom. How about we hit that lake, the day is warming up and I'll bet the horses are thirsty."  
  
"Glorfindel, I will not race you across the lake! We don't know what's in it!"  
  
"You worry too much, Erestor! I dare you to race me, since you couldn't wrestle me."  
  
"Last time you told me not to worry you almost broke your neck."  
  
"Last time you balked about crossing a body of water you nearly drowned in a flash flood."  
  
Erestor fumed at having that brought up again. He pulled off his tunic and undershirt, set aside his boots, and took a flying leap at Glorfindel.  
  
Erestor's shoulder hit Glorfindel's chest, driving the golden Elf backwards and under the water. Erestor pushed off the shallow bottom and set out for the opposite shore, his leaner, lighter body traveling through the water a little faster than Glorfindel's. Erestor did in fact beat the other Elf to the other side, and was sitting on the bank to greet him. Glofindel flicked water up into Erestor's face, prompting the other Elf to jump over him and head back. When Glorfindel finished exploring the lake he found Erestor fully dressed and filling up containers with water. He smiled and shook his head. Erestor was so organized!  
  
The two ate their noon meal at the side of the lake, letting the horses drink their fill and graze. Glorfindel leaned back against a tree, rolled up the bottom of his leggings, and let his feet hang in the water. He sighed.  
  
"I think I'll almost be sorry to return to Imladris."  
  
Erestor was braiding his hair tightly to keep it out of his face. He smiled softly.  
  
"I'll be sorry to leave Mirkwood, although I'm sure you already knew that."  
  
Glorfindel chuckled.  
  
"You know, Erestor, I've always wanted you to get married, that way you'd stay out of my hair."  
  
Erestor mock shoved the gilded Elf's shoulder and tied his hair off with a dark blue ribbon.  
  
"Wait a minute, that's Melannen's!" Glorfindel exclaimed. "Have you been going around thieving women's hair ribbons??"  
  
The moon's silver-blue light filtered down through the leaves onto Erestor and Glorfindel, who passed like shadows through the forest. The time had come to leave Mirkwood and head home. Their horses seemed eager to be headed homeward at last. Erestor's thoughts were elsewhere, and he felt an odd closeness to Melannen, though he had no way of knowing that she was making a similar journey. He smiled faintly, thinking of Elrond's insistance upon celebrating his birthday this year. Usually Elladan and Elrohir, who knew when Erestor's birthday was, would pick that day to pull the worst prank of the year on him. Otherwise it held no signifcance. But Elrond was making a big deal about this one, maybe it was a milestone or something. Erestor really had no idea of how old he was.  
  
The night was bright, the moon full and the stars shining. The kind of night Orcs liked least. Still, Erestor hoped not to see any. He was getting the unpleasant feeling that he was being watched, and began looking around to see if he could spot what was watching him. As the two Elves rode out into the plain, a party of Orcs broke cover and came after them. They laid their heels to their horses, although Erestor could see that Glorfindel wanted to fight a whole lot more than he wanted to flee.  
  
He was not surprised, therefore, when Glorfindel wheeled his horse and drew his sword to attack. Erestor joined him, figuring they were better off fighting together. They smote Orc-heads from Orc-shoulders, killing all the foul beasts in their paths. Glorfindel finally dismounted to fight those who fled. He just had to kill them all! The Orcs attacked the dismounted Elf with renewed vigor. Erestor got a sick feeling, realizing Glorfindel had been baited into a fight he could not win.  
  
It played out in slow motion in front of him; Glorfindel went ridgid as an Orc-sword made contact with his side, biting deep into his flesh. Erestor urged his horse to leap forward, and decapitated Orcs as he passed, while Earen trampled them. Glorfindel was fighting like a wounded grizzly bear, like a crazy person. Erestor screamed at him to just get out of there, but it seemed like his voice got lost in a vacuum, Glorfindel heard nothing. Erestor was getting more worried and more impatient by the second, he was hacking Orcs to pieces, but if Glorfindel fell, it would be worth nothing. Earen rocked back on his haunches, striking out at an Orc with a steel shod forefoot. The Orc's skull crumpled under the blow, and the foul beast fell to the ground.  
  
Glorfindel was in a killing zone, he'd take all these Orcs out if it cost him his life. In his mind he was more or less back in Gondolin, fending off the invaders. His sword moved almost too fast for the eye to follow. He was an Elf, after all, and in spite of his wound, he reacted to his foes' movements quicker than thought. Soon the bodies of slain Orcs littered the ground, only Glorfindel and Erestor were left standing.  
  
His hair streaked with the black blood of the Orcs, Glorfindel stood in a ring of defeated foes, panting, trying to catch his breath after his battle. Erestor jumped off of Earen's back while the horse was still cantering toward Glorfindel, and ran up to his wounded friend.  
  
"Glorfindel you old fool!" he exclaimed. "What madness possessed you to attack the Orcs? You could have been killed!"  
  
Erestor started to boost Glorfindel onto the waiting Asfaloth as he scolded. He wanted to get to the relative safety of the open plains before he did anything to Glorfindel, the grasses had grown quite high, so they would be able to hide in them with ease. Their Elven-bred horses could walk through the high grass without leaving much of a trail to follow. In addition, they would be able to see in all directions, no one would be able to sneak up on them.  
  
Erestor led Asfaloth through the grass, allowing Glorfindel to realize that he'd done something incredably stupid. Erestor was just hoping that his friend's wound was not very serious.  
  
"Glorfindel, take off your tunic or I will take it off and tie it around your thick golden head." Erestor said in exasperation.  
  
Glorfindel grumpilly obliged. He was cut pretty deeply, due to his hastiness, and he really did not want Erestor to know. Erestor would only sigh and say that he should have known better, which Glorfindel knew was in fact true. Erestor blanched, getting a good look at the cut for the first time.  
  
"You've really done it this time." Erestor sighed. "You really should know better than to rush into battles with Orcs!"  
  
Glorfindel rolled his eyes. He inhaled sharply when Erestor touched his side.  
  
"Was that really nessecary or do you just like to make me hold my breath 'till I turn blue?" Glorfindel asked irritablly.  
  
Erestor shot him a look that could have melted mithril. Glorfindel knew the counselor was not in a jocular mood. Erestor dug a few things out of his packs and came back. He knelt by Glorfindel's side and poured a liquid into a cup.  
  
"Drink this." he said, his tone brooking no argument.  
  
Glorfindel got the distinct feeling he did not want to drink this concoction, but at this point he didn't dare argue with Erestor. It tasted bitter, almost sour, with a strange sweet aftertaste. He felt a little dizzy, and then he felt tired. He flopped down on his back. He could see Erestor looking down at him and saying something, but he could barely hear Erestor's voice. Then Erestor's image went foggy, and suddenly everything was blackness and silence.  
  
"I really hate to do this too you, Glor, but I know you would never hold still long enough for me to do my job." Erestor said softly, watching his friend lose consciousness.  
  
The clear membrane flicked down over Glorfindel's eyes, giving them a glassy look. Erestor nudged him gently. Nothing happened. With that assurance Erestor set about cleaning and suturing Glorfindel's nasty cut. The whole time he muttered about how judgements made in haste were often risky ones. He gently put an undamaged tunic on Glorfindel and threw a cloak over him.  
  
The first sensation Glorfindel noticed as he woke was pain. Especially pain in his head. Then the light seemed way too bright, and Erestor's soft mumbling was too loud. Glorfindel cautiously opened one heavy-lidded eye and looked at Erestor. The raven haired Elf had his back to him and was rocking back and forth with his knees drawn up to his chest. Glorfindel watched Erestor rock back and saw the Elf's eyes were closed as he talked or sang. He usually did that while he thought. Glorfindel sighed and tried to sit up. His side hurt, and his head was complaining something awful.  
  
"Is something bothering you, Erestor?" Glorfindel croaked, and was surprised by the sound of his own voice.  
  
"No." Erestor sighed. "I just, I just don't understand some things."  
  
Glorfindel reached for the water. Erestor handed him an opened flask.  
  
"Drink this instead, it'll soothe your throat and your head." Erestor said.  
  
One whiff and Glorfindel knew it was wine.  
  
"Trying to get me drunk now?"  
  
"No. But it works. I'll take it away before you can get drunk."  
  
Glorfindel was relieved to find that the wine did in fact make him feel better.  
  
"So how does that work, Erestor? You're the knowlegeable one here."  
  
"The sugars soothe your throat. And the sedative effects help with your headache."  
  
Glorfindel pondered this. Erestor turned to Glorfindel with his face screwed up in a 'thinking hard' expression.  
  
"Glor, do you think I'm silly for liking Melannen?" Erestor asked.  
  
Glorfindel's eyebrows shot skyward.  
  
"No, I don't think you're silly. She's a very nice girl." he said. "I know her a little. I guess it's probably my fault that she likes you. I told her about you."  
  
Erestor blushed.  
  
"What did you tell her?"  
  
"That you're an organizational genius and you read a lot." Glorfindel said. "She also loves to read."  
  
This conjured up visions of sitting in the library in Imladris with Melannen, and Erestor smiled dreamilly.  
  
Glorfindel rolled his eyes. He didn't really want Erestor to get married and stop being his closest friend. But he was not a greedy Elf, and didn't grudge Erestor his happiness, knowing that the counselor was actually a very lonely individual.  
  
"I also told her that your sock drawer is organized, she found that fascinating." Glorfindel said nonchalantly.  
  
Erestor's eyes bulged.  
  
"You WHAT?"  
  
"I was giving her an example of how thorough you are, that's all. Why wouldn't I tell her that you organized your sock drawer?" Glorfindel asked, looking puzzled.  
  
Erestor gaped at Glorfindel, a look of deep mortification in his eyes. How could Glorfindel have told a maiden Erestor didn't even know such a personal thing?  
  
"Erestor, you should shut your mouth, you might catch flies." Glorfindel said.  
  
"What other things did you tell her???"  
  
"That although you seem gruff and annoyed all the time you're actually a very affectionate, caring individual, as well as very intelligent."  
  
"Continue?"  
  
"You're not very good with horses and aren't big on long walks in the woods."  
  
Erestor seemed to deflate, slowly sinking to a facedown position on the ground.  
  
"What? What did I say?"  
  
"Ai Valar, Glorfindel, you embarass me in new ways all the time." 


	6. Chapter Six

_Gilded Rose of the House of Gondolin_

_By Canon Killer Ellie_

_For disclaimer and other information (Genre, Rating, Summary, Advisories) see first chapter._

_This chapter is a wee bit more romantic than I originally planned._

_Chapter six: The Long Journey Home, and Happy Birthday, Erestor._

Glorfindel didn't feel very well in the morning. Erestor was not surprised at this, of course. He was actually willing to wager on whether or not Glorfindel's wound was infected or not. Orcs seldom ever cleaned their weapons, so most likely there were enough contaminants on that blade to kill a mortal. After their morning meal Erestor helped Glorfindel up onto Asfaloth's back and the two set out in the direction of Rivendell. Erestor was soon quite bored, and started singing to amuse himself. This amused Glorfindel too, because Erestor was obviously making these up on the spot. Seeing Glorfindel try not to laugh, Erestor made up a few choice verses about the gilded Elf.

"Long it has been

Yet the deed is remembered

How the fair rose of Gondolin

Slew the black beast of Morgoth

Glorfindel the Gilded Rose

His helm perched precarious

His sword not so finely balanced

His tresses long enough to shame a maid

He leapt in haste at Orcs and Drakes

And singed his locks besides

He drove a knief into the foul Balrog

And for that he is remembered."

Glorfindel was mortified. His mouth hung open in surprise.

"Erestor, I would that you leave the verse-making to Lindir." Glorfindel said softly. "I am not a rose! What silly nonsense led you to call me such a feminine thing?!"

"Golden Flower isn't much better, if you think about it, Golden Tress." Erestor said with a smirk.

Glorfindel shot him such a look, causing Erestor to laugh heartilly.

"Look at the bright side, Glorfindel, a rose at least has thorns, it's a sight more manly than a daisy." Erestor teased.

"I don't have to listen to you. You're only a child." Glorfindel said, looking away from the raven haired Elf whose inner Elfling had come out of hiding.

Erestor just smiled.

Somehow, Erestor's teasing had helped. Gondolin seemed so far in the past now, as it really was. Now Glorfindel was seeing past those leaping, greedy flames. He had pleasant memories of Gondolin too, and it was as if he were realizing that for the first time. He turned to Erestor to tell him something, but the advisor was already asleep. Glorfindel paused and watched Erestor for a moment. The advisor was usually so distant and cold, like he was trying to hide the fact that he was afraid that people would betray him. Glorfindel had some of Erestor's trust at least, Erestor was not very trusting. But he was a steady, loyal friend, and that was all that mattered.

Glorfindel mused for a moment, thinking about how many people probably passed up the chance to have a lifelong true friend just because they weren't patient enough to look under the surface. He thought about how slow Erestor was to make friends, and wondered if it hurt Erestor. The memory of Faelon's song wafted back to him, and he started to sing it softly to himself. It was as if the world melted away, and a new one floated before his eyes. Fantastic creatures and beings were all around, Dragons and winged horses, all sorts of things.

"Glorfindel, are you still in Arda?"

Glorfindel started in surprise. The imagery faded, and he turned to face Erestor. The counselor was giving him a strange look.

"What are you singing?" Erestor asked.

"That song of Faelon's, the one I can't understand. Well, I've figured out why he sings it."

"Why?"

"You know how the minstrels can make images appear with their songs? The song does that, but all by itself."

"Really?"

"Yes. There's a beautiful world locked up in that song, now I really wonder where he learned it."

"Maybe it was Divine inspiration. You should go to sleep now."

"But Erestor..."

"Glorfindel, don't make me come over there. Go to sleep. We have a long way to go tomorrow."

"But Erestor!"

"But nothing. Hush up and go to sleep."

"_Yes mother_."

Glorfindel lay down and rolled onto his back. The stars were doing their great dance in the heavens above, and he felt, well, safe. That was an odd sensation, considering he was smack dab in the middle of nowhere and Orcs could kill him at any moment. Erestor moaned in his sleep. Glorfindel looked at the dark haired Elf and wondered what he was dreaming about. Erestor had a luminescent quality to him, sometimes his skin seemed pearl-like. If Erestor spent less time over his books and more time outside, his skin would be darker, but he was more of a 'house Elf'. Glorfindel thought the pale radiance was a lot like a winter dawn, which was an apt description for Erestor, since many considered him a little 'frosty'. It always amazed Glorfindel, so many Elves, and yet, like snowflakes, no two the same. He watched Erestor with a brotherly eye, though he would trust Erestor with his life, he did want to protect Erestor. Glorfindel realized his mind was wandering again, and sat up. Asfaloth was munching grass stalks happily, with Earen not far away.

Glorfindel laid down again with a sigh and tried to fall asleep. Eventually he did.

Erestor stretched his arms and lazilly opened one eye. Glorfindel was all wrapped up in his cloak, sound asleep, curled up like a cat in a pile of pillows. From this perspective, he looked like a child. He certainly seemed that innocent, but Erestor knew otherwise. He nudged the Elf gently.

"Glor, Glor, it's time to get up. Listen to me when I talk to you! It's time to get up." Erestor said quietly.

Today, provided they got on the move and made good time, they would cross the mountain and be only a half-day's journey from Rivendell, back on their own side of the Misty Mountains. Right now they were encamped about halfway up the side of the mountain, headed for the pass.

Glorfindel awoke with all the politeness and grace of a hibernating grizzly bear. He didn't feel so great and it had taken him a while to fall asleep last night. Erestor seemed so eager to be getting home, while Glorfindel wanted to take his good old time. Quite a change from the beginning of the journey home. Erestor fixed breakfast and ate in silence, seated beside Glorfindel, who had third degree bedhead.

The two Elves made their way up the side of the mountain, there was not much distance to traverse now to reach the pass. They had dismounted and were leading their horses, who were carefully picking their way though the rocks. The Elves made it up to the pass, and looked down on the Brunien River Valley. It was lush and green, even now in late summer. Rivendell, or Imladris, was still easy to pick out, the greenery was even lusher there, greener still than the other foliages watered by the mighty Brunien. Elrond's paradise stuck out like a sore thumb when the valley was viewed from here, but few ever saw it from here other than the Elves, no one else was really interested in this high pass. Erestor started to lead Earen down the steep trail that wound its way to the valley floor.

A piece of shale broke loose, sliding away from under Erestor's feet, sending the advisor tumbling down the trail. Glorfindel held his breath, willing the falling advisor to remain on the trail in his unplanned rapid descent. Erestor landed in a thicket and didn't move from where his body came to rest. Glorfindel carefully and quickly picked his way over to his friend. For all he knew, Erestor was dead. Erestor was at least breathing when Glorfindel arrived. Glorfindel worriedly looked down at Erestor. He knew he couldn't leave Erestor there, but what if it wasn't safe to move him? Erestor coughed and groaned, beginning to stir. His fingers twitched, and Glorfindel reached for his friend's hand. Erestor opened his eyes and looked up at Glorfindel.

"I suppose I should watch my step, huh?" Erestor said softly, a smile turning up the corners of his mouth.

"Erestor! Don't scare me like that!" Glorfindel scolded, trying to look stern but failing, he was so relieved.

Glorfindel scooped up Erestor in his arms.

"Put me down, show off!" Erestor exclaimed.

"Not this time. If anybody falls we both fall. That way I don't have to explain to Elrond why I'm coming home without you. You know how he is about missing advisors, and I certainly do not want your job."

Erestor made the best of it and fell to trying to get some tangles out of Glorfindel's hair. Of course, being toted around by the Gondolin Elf brought home the fact that Erestor was not one of the tallest Elves in Arda. He wasn't much bigger than Faelon, actually, while Glorfindel was somewhere near six and a half feet tall, maybe taller. He was one of the first Elves you noticed when you walked into Rivendell, because he was so tall. Erestor was not so tall, he was not much more than six feet, just like Faelon. And, like Faelon, he was a little on the 'lean' side. Glorfindel was bigger and more muscular.

"Look, I don't want to arrive in Imladris being carried like a baby. I can walk, and I would really like to. But if you won't let me walk, can you at least let me ride piggy back so that I don't look like an infant?" Erestor begged, giving Glorfindel puppy eyes.

Glorfindel rolled his eyes, but let Erestor walk along beside him. The horses were following, picking their paths carefully. Erestor had twisted his ankle and possibly his knee when he fell, but he was far from admitting it to Glorfindel. Glorfindel needed no admission, he just told Erestor to ride piggy back and accepted no arguements. So Erestor ended up on the Golden Elf's back. He felt very burdensome, although Glorfindel didn't seem to mind carrying him. They couldn't ride the horses down this incline, it was too steep to be safe. Glorfindel felt like he was back in Gondolin for a moment, carrying Erestor on his back was like when he'd carried Ecthelion around on his back when they'd been playing knight and charger. It was like having a little brother that he had to look out for, Glorfindel hadn't had any blood siblings, but he'd made up for it with the 'siblings' he'd taken under his wing. It was for them that he'd taken on the Balrog one on one. It was for Ecthelion that he'd vanquished the creature of flame. Come to think of it, Glorfindel had spent most of his life doing things for others.

Erestor's head bobbed on Glorfindel's shoulder, occaisionally meeting the head of the gilded Elf and provoking a cry of indignation from him. Erestor felt kind of sleepy, he couldn't stop his head from hitting Glorfindel's. He yawned. Glorfindel could just see the tip of Erestor's nose out of the corner of his eye, and could see the raven strands of hair mingling with his long golden locks. Glorfindel thought it was kind of cute, the ridiculously organized advisor with his head just bobbing, slowly falling asleep while being piggy backed. Erestor was still far from cuddly.

The two Elves made it to the base of the mountain by nightfall, Erestor was quite dusty from his tumble, and Glorfindel consequently had a dusty patch on his back where Erestor's clothes had been in contact with his. The night was cool and still, Glorfindel knew it was probably going to rain. He hoped not, but it was likely. He sighed as water droplets began to fall from the sky and dampen the ground. Erestor had set up camp, so of course he had a tent up.

"I hope this doesn't swell the Brunien." Erestor said flatly. "I don't want to try to cross it if it floods."

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Glorfindel teased.

"I don't know and I don't care. If adventure requires me to foolishly risk my life then I'm not fond of it." Erestor yawned.

Glorfindel grinned.

"We could find a way to swing across it on a rope!" he said eagerly.

Erestor looked up from where he was laying out his bedding to go to sleep.

"You _must_ be jesting." he said flatly.

Glorfindel just grinned wickedly.

Erestor curled up in his cloak, hoping, praying, that the river did not flood and that Glorfindel was not serious. He fell asleep quickly, just a rather bony bundle concealed by the darkness of the night. Glorfindel looked at Erestor without seeing. He hoped the advisor was not seriously hurt from his fall, there was still the possibility that he had some broken bones, which Glorfindel really did not want to think about right now.

Melannen woke early, wondering if this at last would be the day that Erestor returned to his home in Imladris. She had grown close with the other inhabitants of Imladris in the past week, they were very different from the Mirkwood Elves that she'd spent most of her life with. They were more relaxed, as it were. They had fewer codes of dress and there seemed to be virtually no distinction between the servants and the lords. Elrond put in a good honest day's work each and every day, everyone did their part to keep Imladris running. Actually, Imladris seemed to be a little compromised right now. Glorfindel was an advisor and captain of the guard, and he wasn't there. Erestor was the book keeper, accountant, and manager of the household, and he wasn't there either. Elrond had his hands quite full.

Elrond had asked Melannen to join them in Imladris, to preside over Erestor's birthday party. Of course, Rinnalaiss had a rather large mouth and a tendency to be looselipped, so Melannen had also found that Elrond had noticed the mutual attraction between she and Erestor and arranged to have her there so they would be able to see each other more often. Elrond really did care about his servants and underlings, and he desparately wanted them to be happy. She felt a little miffed at that, but she couldn't help admiring Elrond's efforts. Imladris was gorgeous, and many times in the past week, Melannen had roamed through the gardens, exploring the beautiful handiwork of the expert gardeners. She loved to wear greens to blend into the foliage, so that she didn't stick out too much and detract from the view.

Indeed, the view from her balcony was very fine, she could look down on the falls of the Brunien and appreciate Elrond's eye for detail. From Rinnalaiss' balcony she could see the ford of the river in the distance. But Melannen was down in the garden putting up the last of the party decorations. Ribbons and garlands of late summer flowers decorated half of Imladris. Arwen had proven quite adept at making garlands, while Rinnalaiss was the squirrel who hung them from the trees. Melannen and some of the house servants had set out tables, laid with fruits and flowers, on snowy white linen. Erestor's favorite color was red, it was everywhere in his quarters, so there were a lot of red flowers and fruits. Melannen herself was wearing a scarlet dress. A large cake had been baked, the icing was in fantastic shapes of horses, trees, flowers, mountains, so many things.

Yes, the Elves of Imladris had a pretty good idea of how to entertain themselves.

Erestor was greatful to be back on Earen's back rather than on the ground and walking. It probably had something to do with how much his ankle ached, but he wasn't about to say so. He'd have to dismount and walk Earen across the ford, but he just was not going to think about it just yet. They had a half day's journey ahead of them, and Erestor was really looking forward to getting to sleep in his own bed again. He knew he'd never really make a good woodsman. Glorfindel seemed refreshed, as though the rain had the same effect on him as it did on flowers. His golden locks were brushed out, and feathery soft. He'd changed his clothes so he wouldn't look like a gigantic dustbunny. Erestor had changed his clothes too, more out of necessity than vanity. The dust had dampened and then dried, making them quite stiff.

These last few miles would probably be boring and uneventful, so Erestor zoned out. By the time he realized that he'd zoned out, it was almost noon! Glorfindel was telling him to dismount so that they could lead the horses across the ford. Erestor looked warilly at the river. It was only a little swollen, at least the water was clear. But the banks were muddy, covered with a thick, sucking mud. Oh well, it couldn't be helped. His hunting boots would get a little muddy, that was all.

He should be so lucky. His foot caught in the mud, and suddenly he was falling, much to Glorfindel's amusement....

Melannen and the other Elves were waiting quietly in the garden to surprise Erestor. 'He should arrive any minute!' she thought gleefully. She tried to picture him in her head the way he'd looked when she last saw him, straight and dignified, friendly and noble, with that long raven hair and those mithril eyes...

Covered in mud....

What? That wasn't part of her visualization! Who was this muddy Elf accompanying Glorfindel into the courtyard?

Glorfindel couldn't stop laughing. Nothing ever went Erestor's way, the poor little Elf's injured ankle had buckled when his foot caught in the mud, sending him face first into it. Erestor was determined to walk the rest of the way with no aid whatsoever from that dratted Golden Elf, and so, limping all the way, he did. Glorfindel was walking tall and straight alongside him, clothed in blue from head to toe, and not muddy in the least. Truly, the gilded rose had never looked better. And Erestor had seldom looked worse....

Melannen realized, much to her horror, that the mud covered Elf was 'her' Erestor. So much for looking dignified and noble, he just looked like he wanted to take a bath and take a long nap! And he was limping. Melannen felt sorry for him, and before she could catch herself, she was running across the courtyard to him. So what that he was muddy? He was still Erestor. A little mud never hurt anyone, right?

"Come on Erestor, you're limping, you could hurt yourself worse. Let me carry you the rest of the way or put you up on Earen." Glorfindel coaxed.

"No! I can do this on my own and I don't need your help!" Erestor hissed.

Glorfindel sighed and looked ahead. A figure clothed in red was coming quickly toward them. Glorfindel's heart skipped a beat and he hoped against hope that it was not Rinn. Then he made out the bouncing golden curls. No, it couldn't be! Was it really Melannen?

Melannen was not to be denied. Erestor was back and she didn't care at all how muddy he was or how hurt he was. He was back. She hadn't realized before that she missed him so much. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Nothing happens without a reason, so Iluvatar must have had a reason somewhere for this.

She was close enough to call out to him, and she did.

"Erestor! Erestor! Welcome home!"

Erestor looked up. Melannen? He barely had time to process that thought before she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, mud and all. And at that moment, for Erestor, it was all good. He looked up from Melannen for a moment to give both Elrond and Glorfindel thankful glances. Even though Glorfindel had blabbed about how organized Erestor's sock drawer was and even though Elrond had gone behind Erestor's back yet again, Erestor was thankful. He dropped Earen's reins and hugged Melannen back.

Melannen decided that her moment of spontaneous affection was up, and told Erestor, with a laugh, that she'd go draw the bathwater for him, because he certainly needed a bath or he'd never get all the mud off.

Glorfindel followed her.

"Hey. I wanted you to know, that he may not show it, but that big welcome home hug meant a lot to Erestor." Glorfindel said. "He did miss you. So where's the party? I'll drag him down there after he's made himself presentable."

"Down in the garden." Melannen said. "I hope he doesn't decide to take a bath all day, because we really want to see his reaction to the cake!"

Glorfindel grinned.

"Fantastic, is it?" he laughed.

"Yes, truly. Now let me go draw that bathwater or we'll never get him down there." Melannen laughed softly.

Glorfindel saw to it that Erestor didn't spend all day in the bath, he even washed Erestor's hair three times trying to get all the mud out of it. At last, success. Erestor came down to the party in his red and gold, much cleaner and slightly damp. His hair was limp and handing down his back because it was still wet, but he looked pleasantly surprised by the party. It was rare for Erestor to be the center of attention. All the Imladris Elves drank to his health and made promises that they'd try to get to know him better, considering that he had lived so long among them and was still a bit of a stranger to them. Then they toasted Melannen, much to Erestor's surprise. Apparantly, everyone else was planning out who he was marrying and when, even why.

Melannen seemed a bit amused by that as well. She was wearing a different dress now, because the scarlet one was covered in mud. This one was a dark rose color, usually Arwen's color. It was quite enchanting to see the Evenstar and Melannen seated side by side. Arwen had such rich dark hair, like her father, with the silver eyes that seemed to be her family's heritage. Melannen was fair, her hair wasn't quite so bright a shade of gold as Glorfindel's, but it was a pleasant shade of blond. The contrast was interesting, beautiful even.

Erestor watched Melannen as she graciously danced with Glorfindel and cast him begging glances rather frequently. Finally she came over and grabbed Erestor's arm.

"Come now, you wet blanket. You're going to dance with me because you simply must dance at your own party." Melannen laughed.

"But my ankle..."

"Your ankle nothing. You won't even notice it."

"Yes, do dance, Erestor!" Glorfindel coaxed, spinning Rinn around.

Erestor grumbled a little, but was silent when Melannen cast him a disappointed look. The two spun over the green like they had that night at the feast Faelon had hosted. It seemed so far away and yet so near. Glorfindel glanced in their direction to see red and gold mingled with rose and pink, golden locks with heavy black strands.

Oh yes, life was good.

Months passed. Summer turned to fall, and the leaves began to coat the ground like a soft, crackling carpet. Melannen's skirt hem stirred the leaves as she walked over them, clad in silver and white from her bouncing locks to her slippered foot. Glorfindel held her arm, with a large grin on his impish face. Elves lined the pathway, Elrond and Erestor waited at the other end.

Melannen began to smile under her veil. Yes, it would be '_her_' Erestor in a short while. Erestor's mother's cameo hung in the hollow between her collarbones. Arwen smiled approvingly from the side of the path, as Rinn strewed flower petals in front of Melannen.

Erestor was so nervous. This was the biggest day of his 5000 years, and it was a little on the frightening side. But he knew, deep in his heart, there was nothing to be afraid of. He knew his mother would probably smile at his nerves, and that she would be pleased as well. He caught Glorfindel's smile, and returned the gesture of goodwill with a smile of his own. Ahh, what it must be like, to have so much wisdom, like Glorfindel. And yet, there was so much Glorfindel had not done.

For Erestor, the next half hour passed in a blur, he and Melannen exchanged vows, Elrond grinned like the very son of Morgoth, and Glorfindel was for once quiet. The biggest surprise for Erestor was when he finally lifted Melannen's veil and she kissed him again, although it was quite a bit different from the kiss she'd given him in Mirkwood.

"Well, now you're stuck with me forever. Will you be able to survive?" Erestor asked softly.

"As long as you don't make me keep your account books, I'll be fine. What about you? Will you survive, wedded to one just as funloving as you are dull?" Melannen teased him gently.

Ahh yes, teasing. He'd be stuck with that for the rest of his life. Yes, he could live with that.

Caladriel and Faelon were off in a corner. Faelon had his arms around his wife's midrift, his head beside hers.

"What do you think, little wife? Erestor wedded, quite an event, isn't it?"

"Truly! And here's to hoping that it's one of the happier marriages in Arda." Caladriel said softly, kissing her husband on the cheek.

Melannen whirled over the leaves like they were a sheet of glass as she danced with Erestor. This dance was extra special to her, because now she belonged to Erestor and Erestor belonged to her. His deep silver eyes were laughing as his lips brushed hers.

_"And we _

_Will dance _

_When the sun is shining_

_In the pouring rain _

_We'll spin and we'll sway _

_And we_

_Will dance_

_When the gentle breeze_

_Becomes a hurricane_

_The music will play_

_And I'll take your hand _

_And hold you close to me _

_And we _

_Will dance."_

_(Steven Curtis Chapman)_


End file.
